Photo: CM Howard

Deborah Steinberg

I’m a writer who’s been living with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder, since I was eight years old. Writing is one of the best ways I’ve found to express and make sense of the challenges of managing a chronic condition and leading a full life in spite of the limitations I sometimes face. I earned my B.A. in Creative Writing from Bard College, then spent seven years in Bordeaux, France, where I taught English at the high school and college level, sang in bands, and facilitated a weekly English-language creative writing workshop. I also earned my M.A. in English Literature from the University of Bordeaux, where my thesis focused on the intersection of writing and healing. Exploring fresh new metaphors for understanding the body, health, and illness both led me to a deeper sense of peace with my own body and opened deeper wells of creativity in my work. Since returning to my native San Francisco in 2008, I’ve been publishing short creative work in literary journals, and I’m seeking a publisher for my first novel. I am the Fiction Editor at Red Bridge Press and Rivet Journal, and I also work as a freelance editor. In my free time, I serve on the board of the literary reading series Bay Area Generations and sing in the women’s vocal ensemble Conspiracy of Venus. In 2015, I became a certified instructor of Tai Chi for Arthritis, which has allowed me to explore more fully the interconnectedness of mind and body.

My workshops are guided by the belief that practicing an art connects us to our truest selves and heals us in deep, abiding ways. For more information about my writing and editing, please visit my website: http://deborahsteinberg.wordpress.com.