We checked in with some alums of Cordelia’s courses and they were happy to share their experience with her. All 4 have published verse novels or have them under contract. Congrats to all!
Shifa Safadi
Shifa Saltagi Safadi is the National Book Award winning author of Kareem Between, the Amina Banana series, and several picture books, including The Gift of Eid. She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature, is a former ELA teacher, and is passionate about spreading a love of reading through storytimes and school visits.
Shifa is an alum of Cordelia’s Novels in Verse: Creating an Image System, and she will be a special guest at this year’s session! This is what she had to say about Cordelia:
“Cordelia is a wonderful and kind teacher of verse novels, and the perfect instructor for those who are interested in learning more on writing this fast-growing and popular form of writing. From learning about image systems to signing up for her gentle and useful critiques, I benefited greatly from Cordelia, and I encourage aspiring verse novelists to learn all they can from her!”
Marzieh Abbas
Marzieh is a baker turned award-winning author. She loves adding magic to her creations– whether that’s a seven-layered rainbow cake or the books she writes for children all over the world. Her work is inspired by her Pakistani culture and Muslim heritage.
Marzieh is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and a graduate of the Lyrical Language Lab and Children’s Book Academy. She says of Cordelia:
“I will forever be grateful for the scholarship I won for the verse novel writing class with Cordelia Jensen. Her passion for poetry was contagious and her knowledge of the craft, patient guidance and thorough feedback helped me play and explore different forms of poetry with confidence. I highly recommend her classes and critiques, both of which helped me immensely in shaping up Aarzu’s story.”
Suzanne Purvis
Suzanne Purvis is a transplanted Canadian living in the Deep South, where she traded “eh” for “y’all.” She’s an author of long, short, flash fiction, and poetry for both children and adults, often written with a touch of humor.
She says of Cordelia:
“Writing novels-in-verse is such a specific craft. I scoured and searched for workshops and courses and classes on novels in verse, took every one I could find. But once I discovered Cordelia, I knew I hit the novel-in-verse jackpot. She’s a wealth of knowledge which she shares in deep, thorough, but easily understandable lessons and comments and suggestions.”
Karen Krossing
Karen Krossing wrote comics and poetry as a kid and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today, she’s the author of many books for kids and teens, including picture books and novels. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she’s on faculty at Whale Rock Workshops and Humber School for Writers. She has upcoming books from Groundwood, Owlkids, Charlesbridge, and Orca, including her middle grade verse novel, Forever Fries.
She says of Cordelia:
“Cordelia Jensen delivers a welcoming, community-based verse novel workshop that’s packed with practical how-to information, inspiring poetry prompts, and supportive feedback.” “
