“What can I do?” I asked and they said, “Nothing.” I didn’t know what to say so I left and headed down to the river where I could hear the waves lapping onto the shore and I could sit in the dark and feel safe for the first time all day. I wasn’t a bad person, just misguided sometimes. Never with malicious intent, but sometimes I screwed up and this was one of those times. I headed home and thought along the way I might stop in and see my friend June but when I got to her house I saw through the window that she had a man visiting. I watched as they laughed and talked. I knew I shouldn’t be peeking like that, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be that man with someone smiling so big at me. When had that last happened? So, I went on home and just as I was heading up the stairs to my apartment, I heard the baby crying down in Apartment 2C and I went over and stood in front of their door for a long time. That baby was cute and pink and needed love and nobody ever seemed all that interested in her. So, I tried the door, but it was locked and then I had the idea that I could peek in their window to make sure that the baby was safe, but when I tried to climb on the wall outside their apartment I couldn’t get a toe hold so I got the ladder I knew was behind the garage. I climbed up and was just looking in when a car stopped on the street and red and blue lights started flashing. I heard, “Hey, what are you doing up there?” and as usual I went silent and the policeman grabbed me rough by the ankle and pulled me down and told me to stand still, but I knew I would never be able to explain so I ran and the the next thing I knew I was face down on the street wondering how I got there. I felt the warmth of my blood as it seeped onto my shirt and I thought, damn, this was it and I had hardly started but then again, life wasn’t always that good anyway. A siren whined in the distance and I knew that they’d get there and save me and I would have to finally try to explain what I had been doing. What a night. What a situation. What a damn big problem I had now.
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Len Leatherwood, M.S.
Writing Coach
Writing Rules!
Private youth and adult writing Teacher
I specialize in short stories, poetry, personal essays, memoir, and college essays. With my guidance, many of my students have won writing contests and/or published their pieces in literary journals, anthologies, magazines, or e-zines.
Many of my high school and college students
have been admitted to their first choice undergraduate and graduate schools due in
large part to their superlative personal statements and college essays.
Sessions are conducted either in person in
Los Angeles or on the phone/Internet.
For Rates & Availability,
use the Contact Form above.
Local & International Writing Workshops
Click here for info on past and future
workshops. All levels of writing welcome!
To be the first to learn about our next adventure, join my mailing list!
online group
writing classes
Year-round, I teach classes through Story Circle Network, an organization dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives and to raising public awareness of the importance of women's personal histories.
To see our current class offerings and learn more about the organization, click here!
Writing Workshop
Amalfi Coast, Italy
"There is no one I trust more with my essays, Len turns average writing into extraordinary works of art. The 1,500 mile gap between us
had no effect on how efficiently we were able to prepare my college application essays. I couldn't be more pleased with them and I'm excited to see what doors they have opened for me. She is truly fantastic."
Julianne N. from TX
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