All Student Success Letters

Maureen C. Berry

Dear Gotham,

I started thinking about writing my food memoir four years ago. Two years ago, I read an ad in the NY Times about GWW and knew that my first step would be an online food writing class with Gotham. I wasn't wrong. My instructor, Fran McNulty, was patient, supportive, critical and encouraging. All of that, including an incredibly fun group of foodies, created a successful recipe for my future in food writing. I'm now writing as a contributing food writer for edible Orlando.

I had so much fun in Fran's class, I decided to take my second step and enrolled in the Memoir class with Kyle Minor the following session. That class proved to be another base ingredient, blending my desire with my craft to create my food memoir. Kyle stressed the importance of reading and offered publications that mirrored my work. He encouraged me to "show" not "tell".

When I saw that Gotham offered a Book Proposal class, I jumped right in, no more playing in the shallow water for me. I wanted to swim in the deep end. I was amazed at how a three hundred word catalog copy helped shape my story. Talia Rosenblatt Cohen gave me concrete ideas, solidifying my strengths and also expressed concerns where they were warranted.

As a result of the Nonfiction Book Proposal class, I knew I needed a platform to help support my memoir. I had already established a blog, but wasn't comfortable with it. I enrolled in the Blog class and found that the instructor, David Title, and the weekly sessions, were the right mix for me. I'm more focused as a result of this class. I tweaked my theme to create a fresher look and changed my motto to Cook. Eat. Write. Repeat. I invite you to my blog, SeafoodLadyOrlando.com.

With my collection of Gotham tools in hand, I'm now polishing my book proposal for two agents, one in California, the other in New York.

Thanks Gotham for your support, encouragement and motivation to follow my dreams

Warmly,
Maureen Cavanaugh Berry
SeafoodLadyOrlando.com