Writing Center

Tutor

I'm a first-year student in the MA Modern and Contemporary Art History program. I'm from Minnesota and have lived all around the Midwest, working in museums and practicing video production and editing. I'm primarily interested in how art can discuss and address the climate crisis, habitat destruction, and humanity's ever more concerning relationship with the planet. I love to play music, ride my bike, meditate, and talk about art; so let's do that!

Specialties: Art history/visual analysis, grammar, and syntax

Tutor

Tikkun is a MFA student in Writing. His research focuses on Caribbean Surrealism and Caribbean Romanticism; 20th and 21st century Caribbean and African American feminist engagements with what surrealist poet Suzanne Cesaire called the domain of "the marvelous" as a fertile theory, worldview, and method in black studies and black diasporic literatures. He is working toward completing his first manuscript titled Marvel Upon Marvel Upon Marvel: Black Study & Feminist Engagements with Caribbean Surrealism. 

He has served as the director and founder of a local art cooperative in South Minneapolis for Black Artists. He has also served as an educator of Critical Ethnic Studies in Minnesota. Bambara has received the Verve Grant, the Beyond the Pure fellowship, The Emerging Writers Grant, and The Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship for his work. His essays are available at MN Artists through the Walker Art Center.

Specialties: Caribbean Feminism, Caribbean Surrealism, Black Studies, African American Literature

Pronouns: He/him/his

FDA

Bela Koschalk is a third-year BFA student in the Writing Department. Their poetry considers intersections of disability, Trans* identity, and the archive. Bela's work dares to ask such questions as, "What if the spider bite was lesbianism all along?" And, "Is archival work simply an unsanctioned romance with Sisyphus?" They reside in Rogers Park in the Psychomantium with Norman, the cat driven mad by the song of the bone flute.

Pronouns: They/them/theirs

Tutor

Hello! My name is Sara Rani (I go by my first and middle names), and I’m a first-year student in the MFA Writing Program. I enjoy writing narratives in fiction and poetry. Before SAIC, I studied chemistry and French in undergrad, taught English on a Fulbright grant in Luxembourg, and earned my Master’s in French from Columbia University in New York. I enjoy watching films—if you have any recommendations, let me know!—and listening to movie scores like they’re a soundtrack to my own life. I’m excited to help you make your ideas and writing shine!

Specialties: Grammar, citations, visual and literary analysis, creative writing, research papers, resumes, application essays

Pronouns: She/her

FDA

I am a first-year art therapy and counseling graduate student, originally from South Korea. I have been cross-trained in Fine Arts and Performing Arts, and I have worked as an educator and a language interpreter. I am passionate about multicultural and international student wellness and advocacy; it matters to me that you feel safe and welcomed here at the Writing Center!

Pronouns: She/they

Tutor

I'm a first-year student in the MFA Writing program. I mostly write short fiction, often focusing on the speculative, the horrific, or the bizarre. You will often find me in the Writing Center, cursing to myself about how the NYT's "Connections" word puzzle is rigged and unfair.

Specialties: Fiction, essays, grammar

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

I’m a first year Performance (Studio) MFA student working primarily with themes of identity, language, accessibility and memories. Until a few months ago, I was a practicing industrial psychologist, theater maker and script/copy writer. I am forever curious, looking to learn new things and acquire new skills. I love watching films/TV shows, and am mildly obsessed with the genres of true crime and investigative journalism.

Specialties: Critical analysis, literary analysis, personal essays

Pronouns: She/her

Tutor

Hello! My name is Rebekah. I am a first year MA Visual and Critical Studies graduate student. My practice revolves around speculation. I work in video, performance, sound, and writing; I engage with glacial concerns, panic, anger, and convergence. I enjoy writing letters, collecting stationary, spending time with my two cats (all cats!), searching for vintage designer shoes, and watching music videos. =^.^= 

Specialties: Writing, writerings, and all things in between. I specialize in making your writing sound like you––whether it be research, artist statements, cover letters, or sketch comedy scripts. 

Pronouns: they/she

Tutor

Kae Johnston is a queer, nonbinary MFA student in Writing. Their work primarily revolves around the queer experience and weaves in elements of magical realism, history, and all things weird and strange. They love writing, performance, and art in every form, and enjoy editing and reading as well. Along with their writing practice, they also have a visual art and dance practice. Through their work, Kae explores the trauma of being forgotten and left to the wayside--like many queer, nonbinary, and/or neurodivergent folks have experienced throughout their lives and throughout time.

Kae’s favorite things to do are help fellow creatives find their stride within their work and assist them in working through problems they are facing in their projects.

Specialties: Research essays, history, creative writing (fiction, creative nonfiction, & screenwriting), close reading, LGBTQIA+ studies, women's studies, disability studies, resumes, bios...and anything weird and strange!

Pronouns: they/them

Tutor

Oh hi! I'm Shirley, a first year grad in Writing. I come from a background in media/film and gender studies, which has shaped my interdisciplinary approach to writing. My work engages in storytelling from the scope and scale of the relational. I work mainly through film and writing and am interested in playing with form between the mediums. Disability justice and disabled embodiment grounds the consciousness of my work and provides the departure points to the intersections I explore. When I’m not occupied by page or frame, I enjoy cooking for loved ones. I'm excited to learn about your interests and look forward to working together!

Specialties: Artist statements, research papers, and creative writing! 

Pronouns: she/they

FDA

Hi everyone! My name is Juan Pablo (he/him), and y'all can call me Juan. I am from Bogota, Colombia, and I earned my Bachelor's of Architecture there. I am here doing my Master's in Architecture and a Historic Preservation Certificate. I was on my uni's varsity chess team, so if you ever want to have a go at chess, I'm your guy!

FDA

Hello! I’m a second-year Ceramics MFA student who loves reimagining the potential of overlooked materials, especially discarded glazes. I bring a similar sense of possibility to the Writing Center, where I'm excited to welcome you and help connect you with our resources!

Tutor

Elliot O'Rourke (he/they) is a first year student in the Dual Degree program, getting an MA in Arts Administration/Contemporary Art History. His research interests include Cuban-American performance art, the evolution of vampires in film, and the convergence of perfume advertising with the second and third waves of feminism. 

Specialties: Pre-planning, structure, creative writing, and analysis. 

FDA

Zach (he/him) is a writer originally from Tampa, Florida, whose plays have been developed at Chicago Dramatists, Columbia College, Naked Angels Chicago, and the Jewish Plays Project. He holds a BA in Playwriting from Columbia College, and is currently a first-year MFA candidate in the Writing program.

Tutor

Pat Paige (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer, white, 39-year-old, first-year MFA Creative Writing student. They have a diverse history working throughout the restaurant industry, as well as working in education in unique ways. They have taught Shakespeare to Guatemalan teens and been at the bakery at 3:00 a.m. to work through the rest of the night. They are a self-taught baker as well as a certified TQUK Level-5 instructor in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, having professional experience teaching writing to students from around the world. Their graduate work involves a hybrid cookbook text, including recipes, poetry, and autobiography from throughout their 30s. They love animals, baking for friends, and finding unknown poets at little-known bookstores.

Specialties: Autobiography in free verse and prose, experimental form in poetry, queer expression, antiracist writing, food writing, and writing with students whose first language is not English

Tutor

Fiona (she/her) is a first-year MFA candidate born and raised in New York City. She writes fiction, lyric essays, and lots of diary entries. Her work explores multicultural identity, intimate relationships of all kinds, and human-animal parallels. She enjoys small pleasures like swimming, biking, colors and textures, grocery shopping, and naps in the sun. Sometimes, she paints. 

Specialties: Academic and argumentative essay writing, such as literary criticism; earth and environmental sciences; multiculturalism; marine biology; artist statements; and prose and poetry. 

Tutor

I am a first-year student in the MFA Writing program, and I come from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Writing has been my passion for years. I began writing horror stories and comedy skits when I was younger, and during my undergrad I discovered I have a knack for writing formal, academic papers as well. I also love big dogs, heavy metal, and playing in rivers that weave through the mountains. 

Specialties: Creative prose, academic essays, scripts, and screenplays.

Tutor

Eva (she/her) is a first-year MFA writing student who is here to write short stories and read everything. Before coming to SAIC, she worked as a paralegal providing legal services to immigrant children in Chicago. Eva and all of her favorite sports teams are from Washington, DC. 

Specialties: Essays, research papers, creative writing

FDA

Hello! I am a fourth-year student in the BFA program. I transferred into SAIC last year from a community college in New York, and I focus mainly on photo, film, and performance-based projects. I'll be able to help you set up an appointment at the Writing Center with any of our remarkable tutors.