Previous Students’ Testimonials

“Fatimah is not only a talented artist—they are a gifted teacher who sees knowledge-sharing as a sacred duty. More than any medium, Fatimah is committed to emotional truth. Their instruction is equal parts tender and rigorous and unlocks courage as the foundational catalyst to any art worth creating. Being a student of Fatimah has made my artistic journey braver, focused, and loving.”—Anam Raheem

“My workshop with Ingrid Rojas Contreras quite simply changed my life. I participated in a one-year novel generator class taught by Ingrid where the goal was to finish a novel manuscript in twelve months. For years, getting to a first draft was something I struggled with, as even under normal times I found it difficult to carve out space for my creative life. During the pandemic it would’ve been impossible if not for Ingrid’s brilliance, care, and intuitive wisdom as a teacher. Every week we met over Zoom, and I came away with new insights into not only the novel I was attempting, but this thing we do as writers. When a work is still in its fragile, nascent stage, Ingrid is uniquely gifted at helping the writer see all of its widening possibilities, as well as asking the right questions at the right time. She also runs her workshop with a generosity and analytical rigor that raises the bar for everyone who participates. Now, looking back on that one-year class with Ingrid, I see even more clearly how transformative it was for me, and not just because the book I started in her class ended up being my debut. I will forever be grateful to Ingrid for the lessons and insights I carry into my writing practice to this day.”—Charlene Wang, author of I’ll Follow You

“R. O. is a once-in-a-lifetime teacher for writers at any given stage and level. She provides a safe space to reimagine possibilities and generate ideas with thoughtful questions and engaging prompts; insights on demystifying the process while retaining the magic and joy; opportunities to form long-lasting community; and above all, a mentorship rooted in trust, respect, and utmost care.”—Sergio Muro

“My workshop with Fatimah was transformative: they are an incredibly gifted and committed teacher. I spent three weeks at a residency/ workshop where they mentored our group of writers, filmmakers and artists: despite the short time period and our disparate interests, Fati brought our group together into a dynamic that was supportive, insightful (and fun!), focusing on what our work needed and also all of us as artists. They were direct, clear-sighted and specific in their feedback, which was so helpful, and generous in sharing their own experiences. I was able to see my work and my artistic process with new eyes and to discern both unfollowed paths and new possibilities within it, a sense of expansiveness that has persisted in the months since.”—Anum Asi

“Working with Ingrid changed my relationship to writing. Her instruction during my book-writing program was foundational to my development as a writer, and the book that emerged from her class continues to anchor my creative life. Even as the book has evolved in unexpected ways over the years, the foundation Ingrid helped me build, of attentiveness and faith in the process, has remained constant. Beyond the classroom, Ingrid’s mentorship has continued to guide me. Her generosity, rigor, and deep respect for language across genres and for diverse lived experiences have shaped how I read, write, and imagine my place in the literary world. I’ll always be grateful for her instruction and care.”—Damilola Onwah 

“R. O. is an incredibly forthcoming and generous teacher. I have had her as an instructor both in face-to-face workshops and online Zoom lectures and her candor and consideration in the classroom are second to none. I've learned so much from her both as a writer and a professor. I've even used some of her teachings in my own classes, always with credit of course. I have pages and pages of notes from our classes together and I frequently return to them both for my own inspiration and to encourage others. Being able to spend four months or even a year under her tutelage, with a dedicated cohort of writers, would be an invaluable experience.”—Gene Kwak, author of Go Home, Ricky!

“Working under the mentorship of Fatimah has been one of the most enriching experiences of my artistic life. My relationship to my writing has fundamentally shifted. Their devotion to craft and generous, attentive guidance has aligned me towards a deeper, spiritually grounded practice, one that I now understand as inseparable from my artistry. Fatimah has a rare ability to know exactly where you are in your creative journey, responding with acuity to the "ism" of the work while insisting on rigour, always through a lens of care. I’m beyond grateful to have studied through their teachings. My practice has been reshaped at its core in ways that will continue to unfold for years to come.”—Erum Khan

“There’s a rumor, among previous MFA students, that Ingrid is part oracle and part sorceress. They’ve also said she can read drafts as well as minds with equal accuracy. After watching her pluck unspoken intentions straight off the page, I’m inclined to believe every word of what they’ve said. Ingrid’s mentorship has often felt more like enchantment than instruction. She asks questions that enable us to rearrange the architecture of our stories. She shines a light, illuminating the possibilities and inviting us to step through doors we didn’t know were there.”—Victoria Lorrekovich-Miller

“Working with R. O. was one of the best things I did as a writer. A brilliant analyst and a compassionate, generous reader, R. O. guided our small cohort through months of craft and workshop with clarity, consideration and an open, playful mind that was always receptive to whatever we brought to the class on and off the page. Always thoughtful about conduct and relations, R. O. set clear boundaries and expectations, and periodically checked in on deliverables, feedback, deadlines and requirements to ensure everyone was accountable and actively participating. Beyond craft and critique, R. O.’s discussions and exercises on process allowed me to go deeper into my own writing and understand my creative process better. This allowed me to see myself as not just someone who happens to write things, but a writer. And for that, I am eternally grateful.”—Blue Guldal

“Fatimah’s teaching and mentorship at the Atlantic Center Residency was invaluable for my craft, artistic practice and overall professional trajectory. One of the many gifts of Fatimah’s mentorship is that they teach with a rigorous vision and understanding that the practice of poetics is interdisciplinary. This meant that I was able to enter in a kind of portal where I was able to immerse myself in their dynamic workshop structure and directly apply the work to my filmmaking. In a very short time, I was deeply enriched by their intensive craft talks that have planted everlasting seeds of intellectual and creative nourishment as I embark on my journey from an emerging to mid-career artist. Fatimah’s teaching format is incredibly enriching, especially with regard to form (ah, the volta!) and the necessity of staying in sharp attention to all aspects of narrative structure. This has also given me an embodied understanding and trust in how and where I want to grow as an artist. Fatimah’s pedagogy also centers community and accountability. This meant that I felt deeply supported by our writing group to bring my most authentic self to the page. I know that this is a cohort of artists who are now kindred souls in this lifelong artistic journey and with whom I will be in kinship well beyond the container of the residency experience.”—Catron Booker

“Ingrid is the most insightful, intentional teacher. She is profoundly wise about craft and structure, and offers holistic support in the development of a rich, active writing life and a methodology for deep engagement with one's own work. The framework she has created to help her students see projects from inception to completion is comprehensive and invaluable. I return to it—and to the tools, resources, ideas and practices I learned while I was her student—again and again. My writing was genuinely transformed by her instruction, kindness and support, and I'm so grateful.”—AJ Strosahl

“During my time learning from R. O., I walked away from class each day with pages upon pages of notes. R. O. understands the full breadth of challenges that a writer might face, and is generous to no end with her advice on tackling beasts on and off the page, sharing poetic insight on process and career that I found transformative. Workshops were led with gentle expertise, and critique was always supportive and carefully considered; by the end of our class together, I had generated some of my proudest work yet. In fact, after the course concluded, I wrote to her: ‘The future I imagine for myself now is so drastically different from what I had the capacity to imagine before meeting you.’ And she gives impeccable reading recommendations!”—Hope Yoon

“Right before I came to the writing residency under Fatimah’s mentorship, I was questioning my purpose as an artist. During that vulnerable and transitional time, committing to this residency was the best decision I made. Fatimah held space for all the writers with immense love and care. They taught me how to show up for myself in the work when they said, ‘Love brings me to the page.’ I felt that intention alive within Fatimah as they guided us through the workshop intensive. They take their role as a mentor and teacher seriously and genuinely want you to show up for your work, but it's ultimately up to you to put in that effort. I promise you that by the end of the workshop, you’ll leave thinking…wow…FATIMAH DOES THIS FORREAL! One of the most surreal experiences was witnessing how they delivered feedback to writers across different mediums, including poetry, plays, film, memoir, and novels. Fatimah’s practice moves fluidly across forms, meeting each writer with succinct, insightful, and honest feedback, no matter the style or genre. Every lesson, conversation, and piece of feedback invited me to think about how to earn lyricism in my work. I am a better writer because of Fatimah’s mentorship. They care about every artist while maintaining a healthy mentor-mentee relationship. I’m incredibly grateful for the experience and would recommend any of their writing workshops to anyone looking to invest in their writing practice and cultivate the time for personal and creative growth.”—Shenny De Los Angeles

“I felt my work was understood and appreciated in Ingrid's nonfiction workshop. Her focus on descriptive feedback, first presented through unexpectedly moving letters from my peers describing the work's craft and mechanics, and then carried throughout the discussion, allowed me to feel seen in a way I haven't experienced in previous workshops. Ingrid's care and curiosity about author intention makes for incredibly productive discussions about craft and content, which she facilitates via shrewd and imaginative questions about how the work is appearing and how it could change to better accomplish the author's goals. I was really impressed by her ability to see a hangup in the work and translate it into a generative question that allowed us to reimagine that moment through craft in a way that always felt elegant, elevated, and delicate—and never sacrificing meaning nor emotional truth. I look forward to the next time I can learn from her.”—Carolina Murriel

“I had the privilege of participating in a ten-month intensive fiction writing course led by R. O. I can say without hesitation, in those nine months, under R. O.’s guidance, I grew exponentially as a writer. R. O. understands the courage required to put words on a page and then to share those words with a sometimes unfeeling and critical world. As an instructor, she has a gift for offering feedback that is focused and helpful but delivered with kindness and respect. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from R. O. My time with her has made me a better and more confident writer.”—Brent King 

“Working with and learning from Ingrid over the span of a one year incubator course in 2020 was nothing short of transformational for me and my writing. Not only is Ingrid's command of the craft of writing deep and considered, but her understanding and practice of the intuitive and subterranean aspects of creative work opened my work in ways I could never have imagined. She brought out the best in the nine students in our intimate cohort, and balanced both creating an environment conducive to camaraderie and the generative aspects of writing, while upholding a rigorous standard for what excellent storytelling and literature looks and sounds like. Out of the nine students in my cohort, three went on to professionally publish the early drafts we workshopped in Ingrid's course together. I myself was compelled to finally apply to an MFA program and was accepted into my first-choice program. I graduated a year ago and could not be happier with how my writing continued to be nourished—and it all started in my incubator course with Ingrid! I could not recommend working with Ingrid enough—if you're ready to take both your writing and your writing practice seriously, you will be in the most skillful and generous of hands with her.”—Cameron Price