Mary Schramm, author of Evoking Gifts and workshop leader
Writing of a workshop at Holden Village:
Amy was an excellent teacher/facilitator, helping us to break through writer’s block and fears. THe sessions were a wonderful experience of learning to not only express ourselves, but know ourselves in new ways … fresh and varied.” Charlie Mays, former Lutheran Pastor
After attending a writing workshop at Holden Village, Chelan, WA:
Amy’s workshop is a resource for retreats, weekend seminars, or in any environment in which people want to deepen their faith, discover and enhance their writing skills, or build community through a shared experience. Susan Wooldridge, workshop leader and author of Poem Crazy, 2007.
I’ve watched Amy Carlson teach poetry with teenagers. She has both the gift of organization and wild creativity; practicality and spontaneous inventiveness. She will be a treasure in any environment where she is free to teach writing. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Children both love and respect her.
From Dr. David Wee, Professor of English Emeritus, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 2005.
I have just retired after 40 years of teaching creative and expository wiritng at St. Olaf College. This August, a retreat center in the North Cascades of Washington State, I met Amy Carlson and attended some of her creative writing sessions. SHe is an engaging, delightful, and highly effective teacher with a quick-witted sense of humor, and inspires writers of all ages.
I especially enjoyed my experience of constantly agreeing (internally, silently) with virtually every writing principle that she espoised to the class. In other words, she exhibited to this veteran writing teacher that she knows the keys to writing improvement, and she presents them effectively, with numerous illustrations from the best – Zinsser, Bly, Goldberg, Frost, LaMott, Hall, …
I wish that 45 years ago I had had a writing teacher of her many talents. She will succeed in any writing program that secures her.