For more than 20 years— through my career as an author, journalist and stage performer— Laurie has stepped forward as my beloved and reliable Muse. When we brainstorm together, wonderful things happen. She has contributed beautifully and playfully to almost every significant creative project, expanding my view of the possible and re-igniting the fires of my imagination. I admire her deeply, and feel immensely grateful for her contribution to my life and my work.
– Jeff Greenwald
Author & Travel Writer, Strange Travel Suggestions and Snake Lake
Laurie is simply the best. No one is a better nurturer of writers than she. At the same time she gets right down to what’s extraneous or needs improvement. LOVE HER!
– Nan Becklean
Laurie is fearlessly curious. Nothing is taboo. Its all up for grabs to be explored, questioned, unearthed and played with. And she leads courageously by example. She doesn’t expect anything from her students, collaborators and friends that she’s not willing to do herself. This is the magic of Laurie!
– Michael Tertes
Business and Life Coach, integrityforreal.com
As my coach, Laurie is always willing to follow me down the rabbit hole. With her courage, smarts, patience, and humility, some kind of magic occurs. We are able to dissect and actually make sense of Wonderland together. And, to my great relief, I’ve been able to slowly move forward in a way that feels deeply right for me. I can’t recommend her enough.
– Stephanie Dodaro
walkingthemissions.com
With her first two words–count ‘em, two–to me and my classmates in 2004, Laurie Wagner set my steps upon the good red road of the writer’s path. She has helped keep my feet to the fire ever since. From the first she believed in me and communicated, no, somehow injected under my skin a confident faith. I feared I’d signed up for her essay class under false pretenses. Who was I fooling? What business had I there? Her opening salvo to the group gave me a new name for myself: “Hello, writers.” Laurie balances the carrot with the stick. She pushes, pokes, prods. She excels as coach, cheerleader and whip-cracker. She listens into the words I offer, hears the story behind the story, motivates me to tell it out as best I can. My writing life is the richer for it.
– Rab Marlow
Laurie is an amazing writer, teacher, and coach. But what stands out most in mind about her is that no matter what the topic or form — free writing, personal essay, altered books, creativity coaching — she invites us to share a table with a group of like-minded souls who inspire, encourage, and support us to step into the creativity and freedom we always knew was available, but couldn’t access. She’s the moth, leading us to the light. Laurie has taught me the freedom in allowing all parts of myself to come to life — all the colors, all the disappointments, all the shames, and all the delights. She is a writing and creativity teacher, but really, her hidden agenda is that she teaches honesty, freedom, and acceptance.
– Sherry Richert Belul
Writer, Publisher at Simply Celebrate
As a former television news reporter, I thought I had decent writing skills. But it wasn’t until I took Laurie Wagner’s online classes that my writing really began to blossom and I was able to find my voice. Her enthusiastic encouragement, combined with critiques that were always dead-on, helped me to hone my writing and take it to the next level. She doesn’t always tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear, to make your work the best it can be. When people tell me they want to write a book, my advice is always the same–take a class (or two or three) with Laurie Wagner. She is simply the best.
– Lisa McCubbin
Co-author of The New York Times Best Seller
The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence,
and Mrs. Kennedy and Me