Maggie was the greatest support in the realization of my project. She has an incredible ability to guide a writer in thinking big picture while also working on all the elements of the project. She was so thoughtful and considerate to my specific goals. In addition to helping me realize my writing project, working with Maggie clarified my deeper intentions for my practice, so that I could write with more ease, while simultaneously exploring the new found depths of my creative practice at large.

Alex Goldberg, designer

Maggie Taft is an amazing editor and writing coach. I worked with Maggie for nine months to revise a manuscript, where she served as a development editor/writing coach. She helped me develop a realistic writing schedule, and she helped me get at the heart of what I wanted to say for each chapter. Throughout the process, I felt guided in a way that I never lost my voice in my writing. In the later stages of the process, Maggie also helped refine the manuscript to a point where it was publishing ready, and I'm on the path to a finished publication soon! I continue to work with Maggie on my other writing projects because her editing and guidance helps me improve my confidence and skills as a writer. I highly recommend working with Maggie!

Sherry Freyermuth, designer

Maggie's workshop and instruction at the 2021 Design Incubation Writing Fellowship was spectacular. Even the way she spoke about writing made me excited to dig into this form that I engage in frequently (but cautiously) as an illustrator and educator. Through group discussions and individual meetings, Maggie equipped me with the ability to lay a stable foundation that I can then build a written work on, and really understand how my writing can serve the ideas I want to communicate.

Shreyas R. Krishnan, illustrator-designer

Maggie has been an absolute joy to work with! After working with her on several different types of writing projects, I can also share that Maggie is an astute and careful reader. Her thoughtful feedback is honest and productive, always leaving me with a clear pathway to continue improving my work and challenging myself. With her help, I’ve learned new strategies for writing, even creative writing that I put to use everyday. She asks just the right questions to keep me from veering off track and letting my writing become abstract. She is also reliably prompt and delightfully positive. I highly recommend working with Maggie. She has a special talent for eliciting the best out of her clients.

Stephanie Taiber, artist

Maggie meets her students on their own terms, at their level, and helps them realize their own vision in their own writing. Her ability to identify the value in a broad range of projects, and to convey that value and enthusiasm, renders her a versatile, brilliant writing instructor. 

Maggie has been the most helpful mentor I have worked with in refining my research and writing. Thanks to her mentorship as my undergraduate thesis advisor, I was able to research and write a piece of writing that I have been able to proudly present to scores of friends, family, teachers, and employers for years. I am thrilled that she will be sharing this gift with many more students through her writing institute, and look forward to reading the first-rate writing her students will certainly produce.

Oya Aktas, historian

With each assignment, Maggie challenged me to express my ideas plainly and concisely, to interpret my evidence carefully, to answer objections, and to revise, revise, revise. I look back on that semester as a time when I grew most as a writer.

Natalie Runklem, philosopher

Maggie helped me tremendously with my writing and research. She personally took time out to provide feedback on my work and gave me valuable insights on how to communicate my ideas in a clear and comprehensive manner. She is positive, warm-hearted and an extremely wonderful person to work with. Her future students are lucky to have such a qualified and supportive mentor.

Joyce Zhou, art historian

I took my first-ever art history class in college with Maggie Taft, and many years later as a grad student in art history myself, I still draw on the writing strategies I developed in that class. She asked us to write three different short texts about the same artwork, each for a different purpose and directed toward a different audience. This exercise drew our attention to the language we use to communicate effectively with readers of different ages, backgrounds, and levels of expertise. This skill proved incredibly helpful for the jobs I held after graduation at museums and galleries. Maggie provided careful, thoughtful, and constructive feedback on each writing exercise, addressing a wide range of criteria from word choice to the cohesiveness of my argument and the clarity of each sentence. She approaches every piece of student writing with tremendous energy, patience, and enthusiasm, and any student would be lucky to work with her!

Zsofi Valyi-Nagy, art historian