Trevor has taught writing and communication at the Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism at Harvard University, the Key West Literary Seminar, and the Universities of Memphis and Miami, as well as writing workshops at a variety of venues. He teaches an undergraduate seminar in Japanese culture, language, and religion at The New School, and is currently developing and teaching an East Asian Studies curriculum at Brooklyn Friends School, including classes in Mandarin Chinese, the history of modern China, and the history of modern Japan. Trevor is also a frequent visiting speaker at colleges and high schools. His credentials include graduate-level research in Chinese philosophy, Japanese religion, and African American studies, working as an award-winning magazine editor, writing on a wide variety of topics for top-tier newspapers and magazines, and authoring two bestselling books.
Trevor also offers private consultations for aspiring authors. Whether you’re writing a memoir; profiling a person, place, or community; describing a dramatic series of events; or trying to convey the significance of a scientific research program, writing about reality—and making your story relevant to the average reader—is a lot harder than it sounds. Trevor works closely with students and clients on their projects to teach them what they need to know.
TUTORING
Trevor Corson is available in the New York City area on a private, individual basis to tutor a select number of high-school students eager to excel.
Executive Director of the Key West Literary Seminar:
“Trevor Corson is an outstanding workshop leader. He led a weeklong class on narrative nonfiction, a class that included students from a wide array of backgrounds, abilities and approaches. He provided everyone with detailed attention and engaged class members in improving their own and others’ writing. He was unfailingly accessible and kind to students throughout. He also provided essential information about nonfiction writing, its mores and ethics, and how it differs from memoir, fiction and other forms of writing. We strongly recommend Trevor as a teacher and workshop leader.”
Student, Key West Literary Seminar:
“I will always be immensely grateful for Trevor Corson’s class. I learned a lot about nonfiction writing techniques and skill and also enjoyed the class immensely. Trevor’s workshop approach fostered a true spirit of community amongst his students as he encouraged each of us to contribute to the critiquing process in a way that maximized the results for everyone. Trevor’s own critiques were insightful and, between the diagrams he would occasionally create on the board and his analysis of each student’s story, I left feeling that I had gained more from his workshop than I imagined possible. I carried with me the basic important fact that in order to write successful nonfiction, I have to tell a good story while unobtrusively weaving in verifiable information. I also very much appreciated the fact that Trevor treated every one of us as talented writers who one day could be fellow professionals, so that I left his class feeling both challenged and encouraged that we had all been given the tools to steer safely through writing our own real stories.”
President, Ocean Research and Education Foundation;
Professor, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science,
University of Miami:
“Trevor Corson delivered an insightful and constructive seminar providing crucial tips for helping our scientists and experts communicate their work to the public.”
Student, Master’s Program
in Media Studies at The New School,
New York City;
Co-founder, Geologic City: a Field Guide to the GeoArchitecture of New York:
“I really enjoyed Trevor Corson’s course and learned so much. I'm sure I'll be thinking about, and following up, on all we discussed for many months to come. I'm glad to have been able to take part!”
Learning Specialist,
New York State Board of Cooperative Educational Services:
“Trevor Corson was more than generous with his time and enthusiasm. He was fantastic with the students and took time to answer every question.” Farren highly recommends The Secret Life of Lobsters and Corson’s recently published new book, The Story of Sushi, as learning tools.
TEACHING
Trevor discusses his work as a writer with students in the MFA program at the University of Memphis (2008).
VIDEOS
Trevor stars in this Chinese-language instructional video produced by the Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, one of the premier Mandarin training programs in the United States, in which he plays “John Smith,” an annoyed business traveler arriving in Beijing (1992).
Trevor stars in this Chinese-language instructional video produced by the Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, one of the premier Mandarin training programs in the United States, in which he plays a young job applicant interviewing at a travel agency (1992).
Video © 1992 by Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, for sample purposes only and not for use without permission.
Video © 1992 by Princeton Chinese Linguistics Project, for sample purposes only and not for use without permission.
Trevor delivers a lecture in Japanese at the Stanford University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan, the premier program of its kind in the world, on the Japanese tantric Buddhist tradition known as Shingon (1993).