TAKING WOMEN WRITERS UNDER OUR WING
“We think back through our mothers if we are women.” —Virginia Woolf
“We are traditionally rather proud of ourselves for having slipped creative work in between the domestic chores and obligations. I’m not sure we deserve such big A-pluses for that.” —Toni Morrison
“I am interested in writing away the invisibility of women’s lives, looking at writing as an act of redemption. In order to do this, I need the companionship, the example, of other women who are writing.” —Carol Shields
“We need all the examples we can get. I am, I’m sure, one among many women writers who look to established women authors as guideposts. We scour interviews like detectives, hoping to gather clues about what it takes to turn the ideas in our heads into bound books with our names on them.” —Sara Fredman, “Margery Kempe had 14 children and she still invented the memoir,” Electric Literature, 2020
Created by an internationally acclaimed novelist, beloved writing teacher, and seasoned professional editor, Birds & Muses provides women writers the practical and moral support they need to complete their literary fiction and creative nonfiction book projects.
Offering one-on-one Mentorships and Developmental Editing, small-group Writing Intensive Retreats, and Bookgardan, a year-long, low-residency book cultivation program open by application to an intimate cohort of dedicated writers, Birds & Muses is the culmination of author and mentor Kate Moses’ thirty-plus years of experience in the literary field and as an advocate for women and their creative work.
Through Birds & Muses, Kate shares all the publishing-professional savvy, technical craft expertise, and creative wisdom that she learned as a self-taught writer feeling her way alone toward the completion of her first four award-winning books, and subsequently as a respected member of the national literary community. Birds & Muses means you don’t have to do it alone: you’ll be guided and sustained by Kate and her belief in you and your writing.
Birds & Muses is an inclusive, nurturing community for all writers who identify as female. Please explore the website to learn more about each of our programs, about the Birds & Muses approach to helping women writers get their work done, and to find out if Kate could be the mentor you’ve been looking for.
“There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.” —Zora Neale Hurston
AUTHOR & MENTOR KATE MOSES
“Reaching into the beating heart of a story . . . Kate, that’s your superpower.” —Shobha Rao, award-winning author of Girls Burn Brighter and An Unrestored Woman
“Whether developmental brainstorming to begin your book or surgical restructuring of a draft manuscript; whether feeding you and reading your daily pages during a week’s writing intensive, or as your mentor and companion through the long haul of completing a novel or memoir — my work with you and for you will be invested, insightful, generous, and nurturing.”
—Kate Moses
Kate’s Areas of Expertise
Genres
Literary Fiction including Novels, Novellas, Story Cycles. Creative Nonfiction including Memoir, Essays & Lyric Essays, Belles Lettres, Mixed Genre and Hybrid Works (fiction/nonfiction/poetry/drama).
Please note: Birds & Muses does not currently offer services for genre fiction, including science fiction, romance, suspense/thrillers, fantasy, horror, crime, and mysteries. We also do not as yet offer services for YA or children’s books, or for how-tos, self-help, or other forms of non-literary nonfiction. Please join our mailing list to get announcements of new faculty with expertise in these and other areas.
Topical Interests
Women’s Lives, Motherhood & Parenting, Literature & Literary History, Art & Art History, Food Writing, Travel Writing, History & Current Events
Craft & Process
Your Subconscious & Your Story, Artistic Intuition & Neuroscience, Imagery & Patterning, The Emotional Story Arc, Narrative Structures, Character Development & Agency, Lyricism and the Poetics of Prose, Tension, Pacing & Momentum
WHAT WRITERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT KATE
"Kate Moses is a GODSEND, a literary fairy godmother for your Cinderella project. She was my thesis/book advisor during my MFA program, and she shepherded me through my hybrid, genre-crossing family memoir. I had all these disparate stories and was struggling with how to put them together into a cohesive book; plus, I did not want this book to be a conventional, chronological memoir-narrative. Kate figured out the book’s scaffolding and structure, and placed the stories in a non-chronological order that still gave the book an overall arc. She transitioned from big-picture craft issues to smaller ones, such as tone, POV, and word choice, with ease. She also curated a selection of memoirs and novels for me to read that further enhanced what I wanted to happen with my book. 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
"I have been working privately with Kate Moses since August of 2016. She 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
"I was fortunate enough to be one of Kate’s students when she taught in the writing program at the University of San Francisco. Her critiques were insightful, thorough, and always spot-on. She’s a kind editor and an incredible mentor. She’s also a gifted writer, with impeccable publishing credentials. I highly recommend Kate to any writer, editor, or publisher. You’d be lucky to have her." – Angela Knight, California
"Kate is organized, disciplined and knowledgeable about the editor’s role. Her experience as a book editor and at Salon helped me to trust her. . . she’s positive and encouraging and respectful." – Pari Chang, New Jersey
"I had the pleasure of studying with Kate during my MFA, where thanks to her I learned to love the form I'd dreaded most -- the essay. In Kate's class I gained a new appreciation for writing as artistic expression, which invigorated my creativity and demanded my voice seize the page. Not only is she a gifted teacher, as an editor and mentor Kate has the rare ability to spot just what's needed to shepherd a piece from raw potential to completion. Thorough and encouraging, Kate is a champion of writers, the skilled literary angel I'd chose to bottle and place next to my laptop." -- Lorene V. Garrett, California
"I met Kate Moses at the Key West Literary Seminar in January of 2017 when she was my workshop leader for “Imagining the Real: Transforming Fact into Fiction.” I came home with pages of rich, new material for a historical novel that had previously stymied me. Since then, I've worked with Kate individually as a mentor as I write the novel, which is currently at a length of 70,000 words. I'm delighted with how she has supported this writing project with clear, kind, and experienced feedback to help me produce a strong, compelling story! -- Debbie Merion, Michigan
“Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story.”
– Homer, The Odyssey
