"Abe Louise Young's poems thrum with raucous synaesthesia and an eerie jazz."
—Hawai'i Review
“A curator of deep archives of survival.”
—Austin Chronicle
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One-on-one transformative coaching for writers at any level.
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Daring editing and dedicated assistance in creating your most powerful book.
I specialize in memoir, poetry, non-fiction and the academic humanities.
I work with all stages of manuscript and process, from conception to pre-publication.
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I offer energized, generative in-person workshops in poetry and prose for women
and non-binary writers.
Client Testimonials
"Abe's work is magic. I can walk in the door with ten pages of notes for an article and walk out two hours later with a narrowly-focused paragraph-by-paragraph outline that's ready to write from. I would not use another writing coach or editor in the world.”
-Katie Matlack, journalist
"The first time I met Abe I sat at her kitchen table and cried. My manuscript was due to the publisher in a matter of weeks and it wasn’t quite where it needed to be. Abe made me a cup of tea and said, “I’m going to help you get this finished.” And she did. Together we plotted a timeline that—to my surprise—included dedicated breaks for creative recharge in addition to standard revision goals.
Despite the tight deadline, Abe went over every chapter, editing individual sentences with a fine-toothed comb and zooming out to suggest changes in structural flow. Her sensitivity to diverse readers was especially invaluable for the travel-based portions of my memoir."
-Clara Bensen, author of No Baggage: A Minimalist Tale of Love and Wandering
“Abe can describe the taste each poem leaves in her mouth. She gets down to the pith and doesn't waste energy fiddling around the edges. She has a rare kind of insight and instinctual knowing about how humans want to, need to, connect. You can trust her large heart with your work.”
-Tina Posner, poet
“Abe is a master storyteller and editor. She took my story to a new level and helped me create something I am going to be proud of putting into the hands of readers. Many classics were made at the hands of great editors, and Abe is just that.”
-Naomi Canale, picture book writer and illustrator
“The incredible gift here is the way the space is created that's both safe and challenging. Abe is a master at holding space and guiding the energy so creativity can happen effortlessly, while also challenging artists to excellence.”
-Deborah Esquinazi, documentary filmmaker
“I received more than I could have hoped for from my work with Abe - she is a writing coach, mentor, and editor – all at the same time. Working with Abe provided the support, encouragement, coaching and editing that I needed.
In our working sessions, Abe often started with questions about my work and what I had written – this helped to clarify and specify my own ideas. Her coaching and encouragement kept me going at various points when I was ready to give up. As I moved into the final draft, Abe offered clarifying edits and shaping that shifted my writing into a clean, clear, professional work ready for submission. It was exciting to have the support to write something I had put off for a long time because I was nervous; Abe helped me move through my own fear and anxiety so that I was able to produce writing that honestly reflected my own work in a way that felt like an important and valuable contribution to my academic field.”
-Lynn Hoare, Co-Director, Center for Imagining and Performing Justice and author of Devising Critically Engaged Theater with Youth
"Abe is a wonderful and sensitive coach, providing insightful comments and unwavering support. I would recommend her to anyone looking to delve deeper into their practice and connect with their best selves!"
-Azure Osborne-Lee, New York City, Roots & Rivers Creative Director
“Abe Louise creates the safe space that allows creativity and daring to flourish. I have been a member of her writing workshops since 2005, and they have been an important part of the compass of my life.”
-Marcela Contreras, Fiction Writer & Psychotherapist
“When I decided to self-publish my book, I turned to Abe for editing and guidance in the process—from how to structure the manuscript to cover art, marketing, book design and editing. Every sentence was perfected over multiple edit rounds as I found the strongest voice for the book to reach its audience. She’s been my anchor and lighthouse over this huge process. I needed an editor who understood writing for teens and adults and a diverse LGBTQIA+ audience.”
-Rachael Wilder, author of The People’s Pelvis: An All-Ages, All-Gender Guide to Pelvic Health The People’s Pelvis: An All-Ages
“I have been working with Abe as my poetry coach for five years. Our relationship is quite fresh and lively. Abe has amazing presence: I feel very safe and accepted by her, which has allowed me to write poetry with feeling and depth. She has introduced me to a broad range of poets and new forms of poetry, but more valuably, has influenced me to edit towards brevity and particularity.”
-Lisa Mersky, Poet and Psychotherapist, author of Unexpected Guests
"Finding Abe was huge for me as a writer. I want an intimate conversation with someone I connect with. She helped me see what’s unique about my writing, the voice and my purpose .
She gave me many tools to work with. I had no idea how to edit my work! When I tried, I inevitably cut out what made my pieces endearing. Abe taught me how to move between edit mode and creative mode; how to reorder and cut but keep my voice intact. I am most grateful for the gentleness she took toward my work and the inspiration I felt after each session.”
-Mark Creasy, Software Engineer and Writer
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