About

Abby Kurzman

B.A. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor / M.A. Journalism, Harvard University

Armed with my secret weapons — a MacBook Air and a purple pen — I’m here to end your writing struggle. If you asked 10-year-old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have answered confidently: “Writer!” 

After four years writing a million papers (well, almost!) as a Political Science & German major at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Go Blue!), I got a job in the travel industry. Soon, I was writing catalogs and website copy. That’s right: they were paying me to write! To make sure this wasn’t a fluke, I decided to apply to the journalism program at Harvard, and they let me in! Fast forward to 2020, and you’ll find I’ve been writing professionally for thirty years. Whoa. During that time I’ve written a ton (literally, you should see the boxes in my office) of direct mail travel copy, as well as emails, websites, magazine and newspaper articles, and short stories. I first started teaching writing as a volunteer at 826Boston.org, a tutoring center for inner city kids. It’s become my happy place. 

You might be wondering what makes my teaching style different from other writing tutors’. I don’t just teach and edit: I am a Writer, a Journalist, and a Marketer. I offer a unique combination of experience: I know how to tell a story, let the facts speak for themselves, capture an audience … get clients to make a purchase … employers to hire you … or universities to accept you. 

I can teach you how to conquer the blank page, select a viable topic, show-off a person or product to its best advantage, organize your thoughts, get your message across clearly, and meet deadlines. 

Did you know that English grammar is actually logical? Well, it is to me. Instead of providing you with fancy grammar terms that you can’t pronounce, I’ll explain the logic behind the rules.  I believe you’ll find that this is much easier to understand and remember. 

I see what’s actually on the page, not what I assume you meant (which is what most of us do when we read.) I don’t breeze by mistakes; I get stuck on them. To me, your mistakes are like potholes, and I’m happy to help you fill them in.  So, if your sentence literally suggests the town should recycle people but you really mean people should recycle paper bags, well … that jumps out at me like neon highlighting.