About the Author
Professional Bio:
Sara Kocek is the author of Promise Me Something (Albert Whitman & Co., 2013). She received her BA in English from Yale University and her MFA in Creative Writing from New York University, where she taught fiction and poetry to undergraduates. A freelance editor and college essay coach, Sara has served as the Program Director at the Writers’ League of Texas, a literary nonprofit. She is also the founder of Yellow Bird Editors, a team of freelance editors and writing coaches based in Austin, Texas.
Not-So-Professional Bio:
I was born in New York City and grew up in Connecticut with my parents and little brother. Even as a kid, I liked to write. I dictated my first poems at age 5, though they were a little cryptic (you can read them here). In third grade, a guest teacher named Mr. D. made our class write a whole paragraph about an apple without using the words “red” or “apple.” Everyone else whined and booed, but I felt like a kid swimming in a pool of chocolate pudding.
By the time high school rolled around, the school newspaper was a big part of my life. I became the editor-in-chief, breaking ground on hard-hitting subjects like school violence, racial profiling, and the elasticity of doo-rags. When it came time to apply to college, I got wait-listed at my five top-choice schools. FIVE! In the end, one of them accepted me after I mailed the admissions committee a tongue-and-cheek love letter. No joke: I hand-wrote it on pink stationary and spritzed it with honeysuckle perfume, and THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is what got me into college.
After college, I earned an MFA in creative writing from New York University, where I also taught fiction and poetry to undergrads. I was barely a few years older than my students, and it was terrifying. Rewarding. Totally worthwhile. But terrifying.
Also, this is a picture of me and my best friend in high school. We cut eye-holes in paper bags and wandered around the mall like this until three security guards came over and kicked us out. This was instead of going to a football game. I think this says a lot about who we were in high school.
