Laura Oliver

Laura Oliver grew up on the Magothy River in Maryland with her two older sisters in a house her parents built by renovating an old barn and racing stable. She graduated from Washington College with a B.A. in English and received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College.

Laura began writing seriously after the birth of her third child and began publishing personal essays in national magazines and newspapers shortly thereafter. At Bennington College, she studied fiction writing and published her first short story in the top-tier literary review "Glimmer Train" just before graduating. Since then Oliver's work has been nominated for inclusion in the Pushcart Prize Collection, has been a finalist in several "Glimmer Train" fiction competitions, has won a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in fiction, and an Anne Arundel County Literary Arts Council "Annie Award."

Laura sold her craft-embedded narrative "The Story Within, New Insights and Inspiration for Writers" to Penguin Random House where it was kept on the shelf of every Barnes and Noble in the country for nearly a decade and reprinted 8 times. The book, an inspiring and instructive distillation of life experiences, was also available in 20 countries around the world. A new edition is in the works. Laura is currently a developmental story editor for clients around the country and a weekly host on NPR's Morning Edition (WHCP) with her show, "This is How the Story Goes." In addition she is a popular weekly columnist for a series of newspapers on Maryland's Eastern Shore. She has continued to publish short stories and essays in publications such as "The Washington Post," "Country Living Magazine," "The Writer Magazine," The Sun Magazine," Charleston Magazine," "Portland Magazine," and "Loose Change." Laura was a regular essayist for "Annapolis Lifestyle" as well.

Laura has taught personal essay and fiction writing at the University of Maryland and writing workshops at St. John's College in Annapolis. She currently teaches at The Writer's Center in Washington, D.C. Her craft-embedded narrative "The Story Within, New Insights and Inspiration for Writers," (Penguin Random House) was selected as one of the "Ten Terrific Writing Books of the Year" by "The Writer Magazine," and was chosen for "Poets and Writer Magazine's" compilation of the best books published on writing, new and classics alike.

Laura also teaches the use of writing as a tool for emotional transformation at the Chesapeake Life Center and speaks at conferences for writers around the country.