Who we are
Conner Bassett
Conner Bassett is a versatile, award-winning writing teacher.
Currently a Professor of English at Albright College, where he teaches literary interpretation, composition, and creative writing, he has taught high-school playwriting, advised undergraduate thesis projects, coached students through graduate school applications, and continues to lead a weekly writing workshop for 8-13-year-olds through Stone Soup.
A novelist, translator, and poet, Conner holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has received fellowships and awards from the University of Iowa, the University of California, the Academy of American Poets, the Sewanee Writers Conference, the Stadler Center, and the Catamaran Literary Reader. His fiction has appeared widely in literary journals, including Chicago Review, The Literary Review, Iowa Review, and Denver Quarterly, among others, and his teaching has been recognized with awards from both UCSC and Albright.
A passionate teacher and writer, Conner has formed lasting bonds with many of his students, supporting them in their writing journey as their interests and skills develop and change.
Emma Winsor Wood
Emma Winsor Wood is an expert editor and experienced teacher.
Since 2016, Emma has been been guiding students through the college application process while working concurrently as the editor-in-chief of Stone Soup, the literary magazine of writing and art for and by kids under 13. In 2021, Emma co-authored The Complete College Essay Handbook with Dr. Brittany Maschal.
A poet and essayist, Emma hold a B.A. from Harvard College, an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and is currently a PhD Candidate in Creative Writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Emma’s work has received support from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley, the University of California Santa Cruz, and the Napa Valley Writing Conference. Her poems, essays, and interviews have appeared in the American Poetry Review, the Rumpus, Zyzzyva, jubilat, and Fence, among others.
A seasoned writer, editor, and teacher in all genres and modes—academic, journalistic, literary, science fiction—Emma loves helping students uncover and tell their stories, and gain confidence in their writing, and themselves, in the process.