Working in a Second Genre
In addition to writing essays and working on anthologies, Abayo has also conducted consultations in Creative Non-Fiction through Black Lawrence Press. Find his statement of purpose below and a few testimonials.
Statement of Purpose
Creative nonfiction, for me, provides a place where I can hold myself accountable – a place where I can unabashedly return to, map out, and almost systematically study my own biography and the landscape of my own understanding. It is a genre that allows me to question myself and my writing and allows me to approach elements that make up my imagination, hold them to the ground, and tease open their jackets to better learn the “how” and “why”, the “where from”, and the “how long” of their make-up.
Given its fluid form, I approach creative nonfiction with the same inclusive sensitivity I bring to poetry. I understand that approaches to it are infinite and the themes explored within it are myriad. Because of this, I try to listen and understand by entering a dialogue with the author. I ask myself “what is the author trying to do?”, “what issue is he/she addressing?”, and “with whom is he/she in conversation?” I pay attention to subject matter and movement of prose, narrative intent and the possibilities available to shape the piece in question to the author’s patent and/or inchoate goals.
Testimonials
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for spending time with my work and giving me such thoughtful feedback...I appreciate your comments and feel like this kind of one-on-one interaction with another more established writer is critical for writers like me looking for support and community while writing. - Dionne C.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for your extensive and thoughtful comments. I can’t wait to go back into the narrative and dig in with your suggestions. I really appreciate your perspective and your kind delivery. This will be very helpful to me." - Marina H.
"I received [Abayo's] feedback and found it very useful. A big thank you! I appreciate the attention my work received." - Ann V.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] [for] your thoughtful comments on my essays. More than just thoughtful, they were so engaged. It feels to me that you really “listened” to them. Your comments are pointed, curious, and written with such care." - Bridget K.
"Abayo, thanks again for your help with [my essay]. It was just published in [a magazine], which is put out by the MFA program at Columbia College-Chicago." - M D.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for your thoughtful words and comments. I found that the way you approached my essay was exactly what I was looking for; I knew it still needed some work but had trouble identifying the problems...I appreciate your feedback more than you can know." - Maija M.
"[Dear Abayo] I want to express my deepest gratitude for your lovely and insightful comments on my essay...Your careful reading, your gentle inquiries and suggestions, allowed me to make the essay stronger in all the right ways. Thank you so much" - Joey G.
"Thanks so much [Abayo] for the helpful and inspiring comments. It’s such a help to have fresh, insightful eyes look critically but kindly at a long piece and comment in a way that makes the writer want to get back to wrestling in the weeds with it...[your] feedback was very useful, especially when backed with examples." - Frank L.
Statement of Purpose
Creative nonfiction, for me, provides a place where I can hold myself accountable – a place where I can unabashedly return to, map out, and almost systematically study my own biography and the landscape of my own understanding. It is a genre that allows me to question myself and my writing and allows me to approach elements that make up my imagination, hold them to the ground, and tease open their jackets to better learn the “how” and “why”, the “where from”, and the “how long” of their make-up.
Given its fluid form, I approach creative nonfiction with the same inclusive sensitivity I bring to poetry. I understand that approaches to it are infinite and the themes explored within it are myriad. Because of this, I try to listen and understand by entering a dialogue with the author. I ask myself “what is the author trying to do?”, “what issue is he/she addressing?”, and “with whom is he/she in conversation?” I pay attention to subject matter and movement of prose, narrative intent and the possibilities available to shape the piece in question to the author’s patent and/or inchoate goals.
Testimonials
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for spending time with my work and giving me such thoughtful feedback...I appreciate your comments and feel like this kind of one-on-one interaction with another more established writer is critical for writers like me looking for support and community while writing. - Dionne C.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for your extensive and thoughtful comments. I can’t wait to go back into the narrative and dig in with your suggestions. I really appreciate your perspective and your kind delivery. This will be very helpful to me." - Marina H.
"I received [Abayo's] feedback and found it very useful. A big thank you! I appreciate the attention my work received." - Ann V.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] [for] your thoughtful comments on my essays. More than just thoughtful, they were so engaged. It feels to me that you really “listened” to them. Your comments are pointed, curious, and written with such care." - Bridget K.
"Abayo, thanks again for your help with [my essay]. It was just published in [a magazine], which is put out by the MFA program at Columbia College-Chicago." - M D.
"Thank you so much [Abayo] for your thoughtful words and comments. I found that the way you approached my essay was exactly what I was looking for; I knew it still needed some work but had trouble identifying the problems...I appreciate your feedback more than you can know." - Maija M.
"[Dear Abayo] I want to express my deepest gratitude for your lovely and insightful comments on my essay...Your careful reading, your gentle inquiries and suggestions, allowed me to make the essay stronger in all the right ways. Thank you so much" - Joey G.
"Thanks so much [Abayo] for the helpful and inspiring comments. It’s such a help to have fresh, insightful eyes look critically but kindly at a long piece and comment in a way that makes the writer want to get back to wrestling in the weeds with it...[your] feedback was very useful, especially when backed with examples." - Frank L.