A headshot of Maryann, a white woman with brown hair and a large tattoo on her right arm. She is sitting in front of an abstract painting. Maryann is a writing coach, public speaking coach, teacher, author, and performer.

Ignite your creative fire.

I’m Maryann. I’m a writer, performer, and coach. Through Writing Spark, I offer one-on-one coaching and group classes to help you elevate your writing skills and be a more confident, engaging public speaker. My writing coaching focuses on helping clients build routine and define their writing voice. I also work with clients to sharpen their presentation skills. My creative writing classes and public speaking workshops provide a compassionate space for every client to ignite their spark. We’ve all got a little spark of creativity in us, and I’m here to help you shine!

If you’re looking for my tutoring services, head on over to Tutoring by Maryann!

I’ll be your personal creative cheerleader.

My Expertise

  • I’m the author of the acclaimed Little Astronaut: A Memoir in Essays, an experimental collection released by ELJ Editions in 2022, which is now in its second printing.

  • I have an MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College, where I received a Randall Jarell Fellowship.

  • My nonfiction, poetry, and fiction has been widely published online and in print, including in [PANK], Okay Donkey, The Porter House Review, Sledgehammer Lit, and other journals.

  • My work has been nominated for many awards including the Pushcart Prizes, Best of the Net, Best Microfictions, the CLMP Firecracker Award, and the Eric Hoffer Book Award.

  • I write and perform regularly, including a one-woman show called My Dysfunctional Vagina that was featured at The People’s Improv Theater pre-pandemic.

  • I’ve presented about writing and humor at conferences including HippoCamp and Prescott College Graduate Colloquiums.

  • At Press Pause Press, I serve as nonfiction editor where I solicit, read, and edit memoir and essay submissions.

  • My teleplay pilot, The Matchbreaker, made it to the Austin Film Festival’s second round and won the 2016 Broad Humor Film Award for best comedy pilot.

  • I’m a counselor in training in the MSEd in mental health counseling program at Hunter College.

  • In addition to my work as a writer, performer, and coach, I’ve spent 15 years working as an academic tutor in math, writing, reading, and executive functioning skills

Little Astronaut: A Memoir in Essays

Little Astronaut: A Memoir in Essays

A book cover with a black background, pink glitter falling from the top, and a white astronaut silhouette falling through the sky. The book title is written in large white letters. The title is Little Astronaut. The author teaches online classes

In Little Astronaut, Maryann Aita plumbs the depths of a family’s disintegration as a way “to launch into outer space and grab the moon.” Every page here is imbued with exactitude, candor, courage, and a palpable experimental energy, and I couldn’t put it down. 

- Paul Lisicky, author of Later: My Life at the Edge of the World

Praise for Little Astronaut

  • A blue book cover with the title Goodbye Sweet Girl in white letters. The author wrote a blurb recommending Maryann's book, Little Astronaut, an experimental memoir.

    “…a lyric memoir about memory, family history, and place that shines in its quiet ability to foster empathy and compassion.”

    Kelly Sundberg, author of Goodbye Sweet Girl

  • A book cover with a green and red background and white words reading So You Wanna be a Rock and Roll star. The author of the book wrote a blurb recommending Little Astronaut, by author and speaker Maryann Aita.

    “Come for the entertainment and stay for the heartfelt wisdom of this wonderful book.”

    Jacob Slichter, author of So You Wanna be a Rock & Roll Star

  • A book with a black title that says Curing Season. The book cover is beige with some brown and green abstract images. This author wrote a recommendation for Maryann Aita's book. Maryann is a writer and performer who teaches online writing classes.

    "These essays, lovely experiments which range from course surveys to play scripts, are luminous constellations Aita has arranged around the supernovas of the heart..."

    Kristine Langley Mahler, author Curing Season

A stack of 4 Little Astronaut books with a fifth book displayed on top of it. A book cover with a black background, pink glitter falling from the top, and a white astronaut silhouette falling through the sky. Little Astronaut was written by Maryann A
Maryann, a white woman with brown hair wearing a pink blazer is standing in front of a presentation screen with a blue slide with words on it. She is gesturing as she talks. Maryann is a presenter and offers creative writing classes and public speaki
A copy of Little Astronaut held up in front of a white pit bull's face. The dog wants to lick the book. He seems very happy. Little Astronaut was written by Maryann Aita, who is the founder of Writing Spark and offers coaching and online writing clas
Maryann performing stand up comedy on stage at Q.E.D. Astoria. She is a comedian and writing coaching who also offers public speaking classes and presentation training.
Maryann is wearing a pair of glasses and squinting into the distance. She is wearing a blue sparkly jacket and the words My Dysfunctional Vagina are overlaid over the image in red and blue letters. This is Maryann's one-woman comedy show. She offers