Donna M. Gayle

A practicing lawyer with a background in anthropology, I write about culture, literature, law, history, institutions and the ways people make meaning in a changing world.

I am passionate about learning and I teach a repeatable method for approaching complex literary and nonfiction texts.

I teach literary analysis, critical reading, analytical writing and how to read deeply and write with confidence.

I teach readers how to move from simply understanding a book to knowing what they think about it, to being able to explain why.

My interests range from the English and European literary traditions to Amercan, African- American, African and Caribbean literature; from South East Asian literature to world religions and spiritual systems; from speculative fiction and memoir to politics, religion and social sciences; from earth sciences and anthropology to ancient history and contemporary cultural life.

I am a writer of non fiction, essays and poetry and I am independent researcher. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from Mount Holyoke College and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law.

I teach a variety of students, from advanced high-school students to students who need academic improvement; from college students and graduate students to adult readers, professionals and people returning to serious reading; from people who are returning to school to book-club leaders, aspiring writers and intellectually curious adults.

I conduct lessons via Zoom or in person in a quiet, private, professional office space. Students are encouraged to send assignments or reading materials in advance of each session.