Courtney Gillette is a writer and teacher whose essays and book reviews have appeared in BuzzFeed, Tin House, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Lambda Literary and Medium, among others. She serves as Director of the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College which offers virtual and in person writing workshops for all writers.
In 2013, her work was chosen by A.M. Homes for The Masters Review and in 2015 she won Gertrude Press’ Prose Contest. Courtney was named an Emerging Writer Fellow at Aspen Words Summer Words in 2017 and serves on the Aspen Words Creative Council.
An adjunct professor of creative writing at Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine program, she lives in the Hudson Valley with one librarian and three cats.
[Homepage photo by Kelly Prizel Photography]
Courtney Gillette 
It is you!!!!!! I should have know from the “writer, ex-teacher and lover of milkshakes” but I didn’t recognize you in the first picture. This is Kristin – remember me? from a REALLY long time ago? And the train into Philly : ) when I wasn’t wearing glasses and couldn’t tell it was you until you said my name?
How ARE you??? I read only a little of your blog – you’re published! The first time? Are your hips still stuck? Courtney, it seems like forever ago that we knew each other, and I know I’ve grown and changed incredibly much (thank god!) since then. I’d love to hear how you are doing, and be able to catch up on the past… well… 10+ years.
Please let me know how you are! And I’d love to fill you in on how I am, too. Much love, anyway!
~K
Please pass along a hello to Laurei Weeks from me (David Alphin now Dirk Alphin). I heard she may be presenting in the San Francisco Bay Area at some point. Would love to know any info on that. Thanks. – Dirk
I just read your article about staying sober on NYE and I want to say thanks, I needed to read that. It’ll be one month for me tomorrow night and I’m known as a drinker so there will be shots of Tequila everywhere, My job puts me in front of people at bars and Comedy Clubs all the time so sometimes, it gets a little frustrating. Your piece was encouraging.
Hi Doug! Belated thanks for this! I’m really glad the article was helpful. Hope you’re doing well! cheers, c
Nice article on AOL. I’ll have 5 months this week and looking forward to a sober NYE as well! Good luck on the MFA!
Thank you!
I totally identified with your article about being sober on NYE. I got sober at 24. Not drinking in my 20’s was awkward & sometimes difficult. Now that I am 30 I am so happy that I stuck with it. Its so worth it. Thanks & you rock!!!
I am such a fan of your articles on afterellen.com. Especially the way you have lefted up Black Lesbian creativity! I wanted to let you know about the Mobile Homecoming Project (mobilehomecoming.org) an experiential archive project where two black queer women travel the country in an 1988 Winnebago amplifying generations of Black LGBTQ brilliance!
Hope to stay in touch!!!
Hey Alexis! Thanks so much! I’d love to check out this project. Looks rad! cheers, c
Hi, Courtney,
You wrote a great article last year on Afterellen: http://www.afterellen.com/more/literary-agent-asks-ya-authors-to-cut-gay-characters
I’m one of the writers in question, and I just wanted to let you know that one year later, we did manage to sell the book, to Viking. All the gay and lesbian characters are still gay and lesbian. 😉
I posted with more details here: http://rachelmanija.livejournal.com/1075926.html
Hi Rachel! Congrats! Thanks so much for sharing this news!