Abe Louise Young
Editor & Writing Coach
Abe Louise Young is a poet and essayist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, Narrative Magazine, Poetry, Texas Monthly and other journals. She's the author of three chapbooks of poetry, a vegan cookbook, and numerous guides for educators on social justice topics. She has been awarded a Grolier Poetry Prize, a Story Prize from Narrative magazine, the Bellevue Literary Review Poetry Prize, and others. She recently co-taught a class at the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin called Literary Citizenship: Teaching Writing for Social Change. She has also taught writing at Loyola University Chicago and at public schools, libraries, jails and community centers nationwide. Abe holds an M.F.A. from the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin, an M.A. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and a B.A. in Poetics and Community Literacy from Smith College.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Poetry
Memoirs
General Nonfiction books and essays (some particular areas of interest include social justice, LGBTQ issues, critical race theory, theater/performance studies, and art history)
Self-help books
Academic works
AVAILABLE FOR
Manuscript critiques and evaluations
Developmental/structural editing
Content editing/substantive line editing
Private writing coaching
“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'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
“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
“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
“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.”