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Susan Goodman

MFA in Creative Writing Faculty

faculty susan goodman

My teaching philosophy? Number one: figure out what my students are really trying to accomplish in their writing, including all the intellectual and emotional undercurrents. Number two: help them find a way to get there - or, closer anyway.

Of course, that simple formula is never quite so simple; it takes time to understand what is getting in their way. The need to improve skills like pacing or narrative distance is obvious. But does this student give herself enough room to think things through? Can another combine his easy wit with depth so his characters have enough dimension to live the story he has imagined for them?

Are they ready to dig deeper? I hope so because the next part of my job is to challenge my students to go past what is easy, congratulate their accomplishments, then continue to push - all the while, standing alongside ready to help.

Hear from Susan Goodman on the Why We Write Podcast

Work


Books

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial (2016)
How to Burp in Space? And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know (2013)
It’s a Dog’s Life: How Man’s Best Friend Sees, Hears, and Smells the World
(2012)
See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House (2008,2012, upcoming revised ed. 2019)
All in Just One Cookie (2006)
Gee Whiz (2006)
Life on the Ice (2006)

On This Spot: An Expedition through Time (2004)
The Truth about Poop (2004)
Skyscraper: From the Ground Up (2004)
What do you do…at the Zoo? (2002)
What do you do…on the Farm? (2002)


Children’s Series

Random House Step Into Reading Transportation Series (4 books)
Brave Kids Early Readers (3 books)
Ultimate Fieldtrips 1-5

Work Published in:  

Your Big Backyard, Ranger Rick, Outside Kids; National Geographic Traveler, National Wildlife, Child, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Parents, Self, Outside Kids, Yankee, Horticulture, Science,  the LA Times Syndicate, The New York Times Syndication, and others.

Awards

ALA Notable, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 12 books nominated for State Book Awards, 6 Junior Library Guild selections, Parent’s Choice Award, Reading Magic Award, Best Books of its year lists include The Washington Post,  Bank Street, Cybils Awards, Children’s Book Council, Booklist, Book Link, ABA, VOYA, Chicago Public Library, National Science Teacher’s Assn, and National Council of Social Studies.

Current Affiliation

PEN New England (Children’s Book Caucus, the Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award) 

Past affiliation

Contributing editor for General Learning Corporation

Education

M.A., Applied Psychology, Goddard College
B.A., American Studies, University of Michigan

 

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