Testimonials
Writer
“The nuanced tonal complexity, which can go from the whimsical to a darker irony in the turn of a phrase, has been a signature feature of the work of Meg Pokrass.”
–Stuart Dybek, Author of Ecstatic Cahoots
“In the universe of Meg Pokrass’ fictions, planets are gloriously misaligned, stars and suns trail love and desperate sadness, black holes serve up dogs, spiders, cats, and galaxies explode everything we thought we knew about the human heart.”
–Pamela Painter, author of Ways to Spend the Night
“To enter the portals of Pokrassland is to go on a magical journey: here there are sex-charged buffalo men and melancholic women who fear six-foot spiders and fall in love with their therapists. It’s a place where people make bald statements and odd connections, where there are strange animals, purple stars and ‘a deep-ruby moon’. Unpredictable, funny and charming, the world Meg Pokrass builds is a location readers will enter gladly and, mesmerised, they will most definitely want to stay.”
–Nuala O’Connor, author of NORA and Becoming Belle
“The people in these stories need Meg Pokrass. Their lives are tough but her imagination is the fire-lasso that can save them, save us. Here, strange and normal go hand-in-hand, a marriage that explains nothing but makes so much clear.”
–Bob Hicok, author of This Clumsy Living
“Serious and witty, mysteical and dark, Pokrass’ poems are small windows into another world. But not quite. I find myself wanting more, always a little more of her work. Pokrass leads her reader on, page by page, enticing them with her beautiful and dream-like language.”
–Nin Andrews, author of The Book of Orgasms
Teacher
“Meg is an elevator lifting me above my messy drafts. Meg is a microwave zapping my uncooked stories. Meg is a zoo inviting me to monkey the page. Meg is a tulip cousin of color, shape, and fringe. Meg is a mentor sister imagination buddy. I adore her. And you will, too. If you’re lucky enough to get the chance to work with MP, grab it with both hands—fingers, and toes, too!”
–Bella Mayhew Carter, Author of Raw and Secrets of My Sex
“Meg is amazing. She helped me tremendously with editing and arranging “Dressed all wrong for this” and in fact came up with the title.”-Francine Witte, Author
“Working with Meg Pokrass on my collection of micro fiction was a great experience. Her eye for detail, her ear for tone, her grasp of the individual stories and how they worked together as a collection, was immensely helpful. Meg is one of those rare individuals who is a masterful writer, teacher, and editor. And, she is kind, brilliant, honest, and funny. Her editing skill and thorough approach enhanced my craft, improved my collection, and left me buoyed and grateful.”
–Guy Biederman, Translated From The Original: One-inch Punch Fiction
“I would not be writing flash without Meg Pokrass. I found my voice in flash. I didn’t even understand what that meant — finding your voice — until, suddenly, I realized I had done it. It was because of the community Meg built, the encouragement she offered, and, maybe more than anything, explaining to me what worked when it worked — why this story was better than that one. I’ve said I would not be writing flash without Meg and that’s true. I might not even be writing at all. The encouragement and finding my feet with her help came at a critical time for me.”
–Epiphany Ferrell, Author
“Meg has recently been mentoring and supporting me with a manuscript of stories. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Her astute observations, suggestions and edits have, in my opinion, transformed the whole collection. Her enthusiasm and encouragement have also really helped my confidence as a writer and I’m excited to soon submit the finished collection. Great value in every sense.”
–Jane Salmons, Author
“Taking Meg’s workshops and teaching ekphrastic workshops together has given me a window into her amazing imagination and improved my own writing immeasurably. She is a dynamite storyteller, but also has a very special gift for helping to shape a story. It is incredible how she will pull out the heart of the story and help a writer rearrange or finish it. Meg can help you bring your stories to life in a magical way.”
–Lorette C. Luzajic, Founder of the Ekphrastic Review
“Meg’s workshops are incredible. She is so generous to the writing community. Her feedback is thoughtful and intuitive and I always come away feeling inspired. She is a true creative force! My writing has grown so much because of her.”
–Karen Crawford, Author
“Meg Pokrass is an extraordinary editor. I was overwhelmed by the intimidating task of pulling together existing pieces as well as writing new work for my memoir. In a confident and reassuring manner, Meg helped me organize a writing schedule with actionable deliverables. Within a few months, I had a working draft. She then helped me edit the pieces resulting in multiple individual publications. I’m now in the process of submitting my memoir for publication, something a year ago that didn’t seem possible. Meg has my highest recommendation and appreciation.”
–Jeff Harvey, Founding Editor, Gooseberry Pie
“Meg’s insightful comments in my manuscript draft helped me see what I needed to do next before querying. What I also appreciated the most in Meg is that she’s fully transparent about her process. She tells me the turn-around timeline; she is responsive, supportive, and answered all my questions I sent her by email messages. I trust her fully, not only as an editor but as a writing coach and mentor.”
–Christine H. Chen, Winner of the Fractured Lit Anthology Prize
I was grateful to find an editor as accomplished and specialized in flash as Meg Pokrass. Her wise counsel substantially improved my manuscript. She introduced publication possibilities I hadn’t thought of, and was encouraging and generous with advice on where I might find receptive editors/judges/audiences for my work. It was exactly the kind of feedback I needed.
–Susan Starbird, Author
“Meg read my novella draft closely and offered many useful character-development insights. She also addressed practical details such as skillful placement of, for example, time-and-place markers. Her honest reactions, without judgment, enabled me to review scenes, characters, and objectives, with a fresh eye.”
–-BettyJoyce Nash, Author of Everybody Here is Kin