Joanna Penn Cooper
Joanna Penn Cooper is the author of The Itinerant Girl’s Guide to Self-Hypnosis (Brooklyn Arts Press, 2014), a book of lyrical prose vignettes, and What Is a Domicile (Noctuary Press, 2014), a book of poetry. Her recent chapbooks are Wild Apples: A Flash Memoir Collection with Writing Prompts and Comfort Event, a collaboration with Todd Colby (both from Ethel Zine & Micro-Press).
Joanna holds a Ph.D. in English (American literature) from Temple University and an MFA in Poetry from New England College. In her teaching career, she has held full-time visiting positions at Marquette University and Fordham University. Joanna taught flash memoir and lyric essay for the Creative Nonfiction Foundation for several years, and she has served as an editor at Trio House Press. She is an editor-at-large for the literary zine Ethel, and she currently works as a freelance editor and writing coach through her business Muse Writing & Creative Support. She has been a frequent contributor to Good Letters, the online component of Image Journal, and her work has appeared in The Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day feature, as well as South Dakota Review, Zócalo Public Square, Open Letters Monthly, Poetry International, and other journals. She lives in Durham, North Carolina.
Student Feedback for Joanna
Fantastic course. I loved all the generative writing prompts, particularly the focus on different perspectives and experimenting with approaches/style. Readings were interesting and enjoyable. And Joanna’s feedback on my writing was invaluable. One of the best courses I’ve taken through Writers.com! Jennifer Gresham
This course was a great experience! I write for a living, but not personal essays, so I was challenged and learned a lot in a safe and judgment-free environment. Joanna is great at introducing new concepts and ways of writing in an easy-to-understand way. Her feedback and line edits are concise and helpful. It was also nice to give and receive comments from other writers taking the course. Alexis Damen
Joanna was probably the most attentive and conscientious teacher I have had in my courses. She was transparent about when she was (and would not be) available, and she was quick to read and respond to each student. She started thought-provoking discussions and enhanced the learning with video as well as bringing in new material as our class comments warranted. She was a wonderful teacher and I fully intend to take future classes with her. Nancy LaChance
