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North Loop Workshop Adult Writing & Proposal Lab
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Faculty & Resident Editors

We believe writing is best taught by people who write and edit for real audiences every week. Meet our faculty and review their published works and teaching specialties.

Dana Mercer

Founding Director & Lead Editor
MFA Iowa Writers' Workshop, 16 Years Newsroom & Adult Education

Former deputy editor at Midwest Review and staff essayist. Has guided over 400 adult students through nonfiction book proposals, essays, and institutional reports.

Courses Taught: Clear Business Writing, Manuscript Revision Lab

Marcus Vance

Nonfiction Faculty
Author of two published memoirs, Pushcart Prize Nominee

Teaches personal narrative and structure. His students have placed essays in The Sun, Orion Magazine, and regional anthologies.

Courses Taught: The Personal Essay Intensive

Evelyn Ross

Communications & Speech Specialist
B.A. Rhetoric, Former Speechwriter for Twin Cities Nonprofits

Helps analysts, engineers, and nonprofit directors communicate complex data and civic arguments without relying on slide deck crutches.

Courses Taught: Presenting Dense Ideas Without a Script
The Workshop Method

Editorial Feedback, Not Academic Theory

Traditional writing programs spend months discussing abstract theory. We run our classrooms like professional editorial rooms: we read your draft on Tuesday, highlight what works and where the reader gets lost, and give you concrete line edits to test on Wednesday.

By the end of your cohort, you will have completed a real deliverable and developed an internal editor you can rely on for the rest of your career.

Browse Faculty Courses →