Birds & Muses

Kate’s Areas of Expertise

Testimonials

“My book and I spent twelve years looking for Kate. I found glimmers of her--several very good teachers who would give themselves, with great generosity, to me and other writers for a long weekend, or in one delicious instance an entire week. But then they were gone, back to their own books or faculty teaching, and it was clear that even a follow-up question or email would not be appropriate. Kate is different. She is in it for the long run, truly committed to me and my book and the reality of needing to get the work finished and published. This is extremely important to me since some of the core material in my manuscript deals with loss and abandonment. Having Kate — and the cohort that she has brought together — committed to my work reinforces my own commitment. I believe that one reason Kate is able to give to others so generously and without resentment is because, unlike many writers, she is not an introvert. The stimulation of being surrounded by other women and their stories feeds into her own creativity. I can see that she truly loves what she does, that it is part of her life mission and calling — being a book angel.”

—Maureen Cummins, Bookgardan 2018-19, 2020 Continuing Mentorship

"Kate Moses is a GODSEND, a literary fairy godmother for your Cinderella project.... Modified excerpts from my book have been published or will appear in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Ninth Letter, and Fourth Genre. I have several agents interested in seeing my full-length memoir, the final version of which I am working through. So much of this is because of Kate's mentorship and editing prowess. My autographed copy of The Woman Warrior--which Kate procured from Maxine Hong Kingston herself because Kate thought I'd appreciate it--reminds me what a fantastic, warm, and caring person Kate is, and she remains one of my cherished friends today." 

—S. Isabel Choi, California 

"Kate Moses... is the most endearing, tenacious, persistent writing teacher I have ever had. And she carries off her brilliance in the most gentle of ways. She takes a draft of something I have written and finds needles in hay stacks: she finds metaphoric connections between concepts that are powerful and real, but that I hadn't realized were there. Kate’s writing retreat in Essex was one of the most incredible learning experiences of my life. And since then, we skype regularly about my memoir and about writing contests for which I am writing. I mark down her every word on paper as we go along, because it all matters so much! Under her tutelage, I have recently won a major writing contest, and I could not have done it without her gentle, guiding force and brilliant spirit. If Kate could be my fairy godmother, or godsister, I would sign up in a heartbeat. I hope never to lose contact with her, as my writing is immeasurably enriched by her comments and her kind, kind heart."

—Elizabeth Fortescue, Massachusetts