Download PDF by clicking HERE
RACHEL ROSEKIND, PhD
rosekindness@gmail.com www.writeyouare.net
EDUCATION
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
MLIS, December 2016
Focus on social justice and radical reference; public and school libraries; readers advisory; innovative community engagement, library services, and platforms; and information literacy, equity, and ethics
Yale University, New Haven, CT
Dual PhD, African American Studies and American Studies, 2006
Between the Country House and the Kitchenette: Literary Excavations of Space and Self in the Work of Henry James and Gwendolyn Brooks. Advisor: Hazel V. Carby
M.Phil., Honors, African American Studies and American Studies, 2003
M.A., Honors, African American Studies and American Studies, 2001
New York University, New York, NY
B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Literature and Social Theory, 1997
Focus on the navigation of public, urban, and political space as represented and defined in literature and the visual and applied arts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Founder, Write You Are!
2015–Present
- Run independent business providing writing instruction & coaching, content creation, writing workshops, college & graduate school consulting, and editorial services throughout the country
Data Lead and Content Editor, San Jose State University, School of Information
November 2019–Present
- Work as primary point person for 25+ team members and 125+ faculty to strategize, mine, streamline, and synthesize significant amounts of data to support the iSchool’s reaccreditation process and final report submission.
- Assist with editing content and layout of accreditation report
Independent Editor
2000–Present
- Work with individual and institutional clients to develop and refine manuscripts of all kinds
- Specialize in developmental, substantive, academic, and line editing
- Broad range of expertise in academic editing, including monographs, dissertations, theses, articles, and other nonfiction material
- Extensive background in many literary genres and forms, including poetry, novels, novellas, short stories, and essays
- Create content for corporate reports, factbooks, presentations, blogs, and websites
- Help research and write grant proposals for a varied client base; have secured funding from arts organizations, governmental entities, private foundations, and others
Research Intern, Wikimedia Foundation
January 2016–September 2016
- Research the intersection between and application of Wikimedia projects to: cultural preservation and knowledge dissemination in the developing world; academic, public, research and special collections libraries; information literacy instruction; and innovative technological platforms
- Design and tag a Zotero bibliographic collection to collocate and disambiguate the data
- Write a comprehensive literature review documenting the evolution of Wikipedia’s role in information literacy frameworks and instruction throughout the world.
Research Intern, African American Museum & Library at Oakland
April 2016–May 2017
- Research and create a bibliographic digital archive chronicling the history of Blacks in Oakland after World War Two.
Research Assistant to African American Studies Department Chair, Yale University
January 2001–May 2006
- Assisted Department Chair with personal research, preparation and editing of conference papers and journal articles, and creation of course syllabi
- Planned “African American Studies and Yale: Revisiting Origins, Imagining Futures,” held in May 2002; organized conference panels, designed publicity materials and commemorative brochure; wrote and published historical and photographic essay documenting the history of Yale’s African American Studies department
Lead Organizer, “Langston Hughes and His World” International Conference, Yale University
March 2001–October 2002
- Drafted grant proposal and budget narrative to Ford Foundation outlining plans for international conference to celebrate centenary of Hughes’s birth
- Secured $100,000 from Ford Foundation and $15,000 from Yale’s Kempf Memorial Fund
- Tracked expenses and prepared budget reports for grantmaking institutions
- Liaised with Yale’s Office of Printing and Publishing Services, the President’s Office, Beinecke Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Grants & Contracts, and multiple academic departments to facilitate collaboration and communication
- Prepared website content and all publicity materials, brochures, and souvenirs for event
- Helped plan and execute all conference activities, including: library exhibition, film screening, panel discussions, meals, book signings, music, and theatrical performance
- Coordinated travel plans and lodging arrangements for conference speakers
- Partnered with publishing house and performed outreach to local public schools to organize reading, musical performance, and large book donation to school libraries and classrooms
Tutor and Summer Program Instructor, Central Falls Public Schools, Rhode Island
December 2004–March 2006
- Assisted 9th-12th grade students with class assignments and helped to build study habits and writing skills
- Wrote grant to secure funds from Central Falls School Department to lead summer course for “at-risk” middle school students
- Created and led month-long program to build literacy and math skills
Development Associate, Providence Public Schools September 1998–June 1999
- Researched and identified potential funding sources and helped to compose and edit grant proposals
- Met with local nonprofits, corporations, and other grant-making and grant-receiving entities to identity priorities, benchmarks, and partnership opportunities
- Major projects include grants to provide the following: literacy resources and instruction, expanded afterschool programs, and technological innovation
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Founder/Educator, Write You Are! 2015–Present
- Lead group classes and workshops at community centers, libraries, and other locations
- Inspire students and clients through discussions of exemplary poetry and prose, exciting writing prompts, and thoughtful individualized feedback
- Provide private writing coaching to youth, teens, and adults to discuss and hone craft and to generate, refine, and discuss works-in-progress
English Teacher, 9th & 11th Grade, Honors, Crystal Springs Uplands School
August 2007–March 2009
- Collaborated with colleagues to select materials for year-long survey courses in world and American literature
- Instructed students in grammar, close reading, research, academic writing, and historical interpretation of literary texts
- Maintained website for students and parents to keep abreast of course materials
- Served as 9th Grade advisor
Teaching Fellow, “Formation of Modern American Culture,” Yale University
Spring 2003, 2004
- Led weekly discussion sections engaging students in dialogue about 20th century American cultural history
- Graded weekly response papers and 2 longer essays
- Collaborated with fellow instructors to present multimedia materials and other dynamic learning opportunities to students
Instructor, “Black Literature and the Urban Environment,” Yale University Fall 2003
- Designed new interdisciplinary course for African American Studies Department based on dissertation research and teaching interests
- Met weekly with students to present and discuss course materials
- Facilitated and led students on historical walking tour of Harlem
Teaching Fellow, “Modern African American Literature,” Yale University
Spring 2003, Fall 2002
- Worked with Professor and co-fellow to draft syllabus and to select notable writers to serve as guest lecturers
- Led weekly discussion sections exploring new voices in African American literature
- Graded close reading exercises and research papers
Senior Essay Advisor, Department of American Studies, Yale University
Fall 2004–Spring 2005
- Nominated for position by American Studies department faculty
- Met individually with students to help select and refine senior essay topics; devise research strategies; and draft and edit essays
- Led group tutorials on brainstorming, information literacy strategies, writing and revision process, and bibliographic instruction
Afro-American Studies Teaching Assistant and Writing Advisor, Wesleyan University
Fall 2002–Fall 2003
- Met individually with 60 students on a weekly basis to discuss course materials, devise paper topics, and refine drafts
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
- Finalist, May 2019: National Parks Arts Residency, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
- Alameda County Library Library Lit Contest February 2019: Winner, “Souls of My Feet”
- John F. Enders Fund Summer Fellowship for Dissertation Writing and Research, 2005
- University Dissertation Fellowship, Susan Rhoda Cutler Fellowship Fund, 2004-2005
- John Perry Miller Fellowship, Summer 2003
- Mellon Fellowship in Gender History, Harvard University, Summer 2002
PUBLICATIONS AND DISTINCTIONS
- “Making Our Words Matter: Reawakening the Radical Imagination, unpublished. 2019.
- A History of African Americans in Oakland, California: an Annotated Bibliography, prepared for the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, AY 2016-2017
- “Data Retrieval, Information Literacy, and Knowledge Synthesis in the Age of Wikipedia: a Framework for Partnership and Progression.” Wiki site: Summer 2016
- “Using a Compass without a Map: the Journey of a Mother-Educator.” Hybrid Pedagogy, 10 May 2016, http://www.digitalpedagogylab.com/hybridped/using-a-compass-without-a-map/
- Nourishing our Children and our World through Stories: a Book List that Promotes Awareness and Affirmation of Self, Others, and the Natural World, January 2016
- Review of Selling the Race: Culture, Community, and Black Chicago, 1940-1955, by Adam Green, Economic History Review, 60 (November 2007): 862-864.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Collage Poetry Mashup for Families. 4/24/2020. Berkeley Public Library, Central Branch, California
Canceled due to Coronavirus.
Collage Poetry Mashup for Families. 4/22/2020. Hercules Public Library, California
Canceled due to Coronavirus.
Tweens & Teens Creative Writing Meet-Up: Poetry. 4/14/20. El Cerrito Public Library, California. Canceled due to Coronavirus.
Picture Poems: a Workshop for the “Insiders Group.” 2/27/20. Hercules Public Library, California
Tweens & Teens Creative Writing Meet-Up: What is Love?. 2/11/2020. El Cerrito Public Library, California
“Writing Strategies and Success for Homeschooled Families.” 2/1/2020. Invited Talk, Bay Area Homeschool Moms Group.
Family Learning Sundays. 1/5/2020. Providence Public Library, Rhode Island
Flash! Fiction Workshop: a NaNoWriMo Event. 11/16/2019. Berkeley Public Library, North Branch, California
Spooky Stories Writing Workshop. 10/23/2019. El Cerrito Public Library, California
Write Your Way to Outer Space!: a Pre-Summer Reading Workshop. 5/21/2019. El Cerrito Public Library, California
Write Your Way to Outer Space!: a Pre-Summer Reading Workshop. 5/9/2019. Hercules Public Library, California
National Poetry Month: Collage Poetry Mashup. 4/27/2019. Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, California
Try Your Hand at Creative Writing: a Workshop for All Ages. 2/27/2019. Albany Public Library, California
Creative Writing for Young People. 12/9/2018. Albany Public Library, California
WORKS IN PROGRESS
- Fierce Illumination: Elemental Revelations and Unravelings
- “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with the Way She Moves”: The Experience and Influence of Women in the Grateful Dead
- Flight of the Beautiful Days: A Chronicle of the Radical Women Who Ignited Bay Area Social and Cultural Movements
- An Apprentice to Words: Why I Write, Why I Teach
- Ivy Grows in the Garden of Eden: A Branch Leaves a Family Tree
SERVICE
- Community Advisory Council member, Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, Berkeley, CA
- Contra Costa County Library Commissioner, Supervisorial District 1, CA (Appointed)
- Contra Costa Library Foundation Organizing Committee Member
- Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) Book Awards Judge
- Mentorship and pro bono assistance for under-resourced organizations and individuals
- Miriam Braverman Memorial Prize Jury, Progressive Librarians Guild
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- American Copyediting Society
- Association of Writers & Writing Programs
- Bay Area Editors Forum
- Editorial Freelancers Association, National & Bay Area chapter member
