Expert in English, Writing, Editing (MIT, Columbia, English PhD)

Kanika A.

I'm a writer and editor with over 20 years of teaching/tutoring experience. I specialize in teaching English/ESL, reading, and writing to all age groups and for a variety of purposes (school, business, college admissions, job applications, public speaking, publication, and more).

I received a double BS in Biology and Writing from MIT. I then earned an MFA in Writing from Columbia U and a PhD in English and Literary Arts from U of Denver. I taught academic and creative writing and also worked as a writing center consultant at both Columbia and U of Denver. I also teach reading to young students, with a focus on phonics and science-of-reading approaches. In addition, I've taught writing to incarcerated writers and at shelters for people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and domestic violence.

My creative work appears in top national and international literary publications, including Best American Experimental Writing 2020, Black Warrior Review, Foglifter, and SAND. I've won significant prizes for my poetry and prose, and I've been awarded fellowships by the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Hedgebrook, MacDowell, and Vermont Studio Center. I am currently under contract for a co-authored book on the role of writing in academic institutions.

As an editor, I've worked with a wide range of writers, including Ivy League graduate students and professors, supporting them across all stages, from conceptualization to completion, for applications, essays, books, speeches, etc. Currently, I'm an editor for three award-winning magazines (two literary and one speculative).

I can adapt to a variety of needs and goals. I'm patient and innovative in my approach and techniques, and I’m very responsive to individual differences. Get in touch to discuss possibilities and strategies!