Catapult | Don't Write Alone

Cover Photo: A screenshot of the author on Zoom, smiling; he is wearing a colorful patterned vest and silver necklaces

I May Not Look Like a “Respectable” Teacher, But I’m a Good One

As part of our Education Week series, Edgar Gomez reflects on how presenting himself authentically as a teacher cultivates a more open and honest learning environment.

Edgar Gomez

Jan 26, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of the rear door of a yellow school bus backgrounded by green trees and a blue sky.

After I Left Teaching, the Best Writing Lesson Came from My Students

As part of our Education Week series, Purnima Mani reflects on her career as a teacher—and which lessons stayed with her when she quit to write full-time.

Purnima Mani

Jan 25, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of the ornate Rose Reading Room at the New York Public Library: rows and rows of tables with patrons sitting with books and laptops, all at work

Why PhDs Need to Study Creative Writing

To reach audiences outside the ivory tower of academia, one must care about the storytelling as much as the sociology.

Anthony Ocampo

Jan 19, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: This photograph shows a server standing at the edge of a kitchen, her head down as if she is looking at an order. There is a cook in the kitchen as well, his outline blurred as if the picture was captured when he was moving quickly. The lighting is warm and yellowy.

Dreaming of Writing While Waiting Tables

I recently realized that my dream of being a writer, which escorted me into the restaurant industry, will eventually escort me out.

Audrey Alunan

Jan 11, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A group photograph of the roundtable panelists: Jeanna Kadlec, Angela Chen, Lilly Dancyger, Nina St. Pierre, and Deena ElGenaidi

How Do You Find a Writers’ Group? Try Making Your Own

A roundtable discussion between five writers in a writers’ groups about building—and maintaining—writers’ groups.

Catapult Editors

Jan 05, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: An aerial photograph of a V-shaped formation of runners on a red running track. There is one person in the lead; the remainder of the runners fan out on either side.

What If I Never Publish Another Book?

Book publishing is one hell of a marathon. As soon as one race ends, another begins.

Anjali Enjeti

Jan 04, 2022

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of a mother putting her daughter's hair in a bun

Writing Haibun and Parenting Like a Poet

My daughter is both woman and girl, loving me and needing to find space from me, and I am teacher and student, confident and terrified.

Amanda Moore

Dec 22, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of a metal statue of Lady Justice, a woman wearing a blindfold and holding a set of scales.

Being a Good Lawyer Can Make You a Bad Writer

But being a good writer makes me an even better lawyer.

Ofelia Brooks

Dec 13, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: Hands at a pottery wheel, throwing a draft out of clay

How Pottery Taught Me to Love Writing First Drafts

I reveled in the circularity of pottery: All mass—all creative matter—was conserved.

Erica Berry

Dec 07, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: Photograph by Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash

If I Want to Be a Writer, I Can’t Teach Writing

I wanted the dullest, most mindless job possible. I wanted all the stress to vanish. Maybe, if I had the freedom to think about nothing, I could write again.

Quinn Forlini

Nov 10, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A point of view from the driver's seat of the car: the dashboard is grimy with dust, and the windshield wipers are a blur in the rain

Writing an Ordinary Existence

I didn’t know how to make things happen in fiction—maybe because the drama of my life seemed so ordinary to everyone else.

Kyle Lucia Wu

Nov 02, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of a blank notebook open to a lined page. Resting on top of the page is a metal pencil sharpener, a yellow pencil, and pencil shavings.

I Found My Literary Community by Writing Book Reviews

My goal wasn’t to become a career critic, but to get the word out about books I felt deserved the attention.

Erin Flanagan

Oct 13, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: A photograph of a baker's hands over a pile of flour on a table. Grains of flour drift down from their hands into the pile. The table also contains some eggs, a whisk, and a bag of flour.

Publishing Your Debut Book Is Like Baking Croissants—Messy, But Worth It

Outside the publishing industry, I don’t think we spend enough time discussing the labor behind writing a book.

Pyae Moe Thet War

Oct 06, 2021

Don’t Write Alone | Writing Life

Cover Photo: This photograph shows palm trees rising up out of a dense gray fog. In the background, we can see the top of a mountain rising above the fog.

Loss, Uncertainty, and Love Brought Me to Literary Translation

I often think about translation as a standalone language—without it, we all become our own islands, floating on a vast ocean without ever coming across each other.