Heidi Gabrielle Nobles
Are you a current or former student?
Click here for reference requests and course website access.
I study writing.
I fell in love with both texts and teaching early on in my academic career, so I set out to study writing from as many angles as possible: how writing works as a medium, how people learn to write and how they can write better, how we distribute writing through publication, and what difference any of this makes in the real world.
I’ve worked in book publishing at Baylor University Press, Hachette Book Group USA, Abilene Christian University Press, and Manning Publications, learning today's book industry from acquisition through post-publication. I even worked for a while in a Books-a-Million to see how books get into customers' hands (along with a lot of coffee). I’ve taught lots of different kinds of writing at state and private colleges, from 2-year to R1 institutions, which has let me work with people who had widely varying backgrounds and interests. I’ve researched in material and digital archives. I’ve written essays and articles and business materials, as well as a couple of books that I’m currently working to get published.
My MA in English literature taught me how to be a careful reader and to do thorough bibliographic and archival research. My MFA in creative writing let me blend my literary and business backgrounds in learning to write compelling, precise prose. My PhD in rhetoric and composition extended all of that earlier work by letting me focus on how the way we shape texts ends up shaping culture. Today, I teaching writing and rhetoric at the University of Virginia and work with faculty across the disciplines on effective, manageable ways to use writing in disciplinary content courses.
I believe that texts do meaningful work in the world. I work hard to read well, to write well, to edit well, and to teach others how to do those things well, too.
Teaching
I taught my first university class in Fall 2004. Since then, I’ve taught introductory and advanced composition, business and professional writing, developmental writing, creative writing, and editing at both public and private institutions.
Administration
I currently serve as Director of Writing Across the Curriculum at the University of Virginia. We practice evidence-based writing pedagogy, based on longitudinal and empirical research. We offer support to faculty across the disciplines who use writing in their classes, in our mission to enhance the culture of writing across UVA.
Research
Grounded in writing studies and rhetoric, my research includes work in editorial theory/praxis, history of rhetoric & writing, professional writing, writing across the curriculum, digital humanities, and composition pedagogy.
Editing
I took my first editorial job in the summer of 2004, with the local university press. Since then, I’ve worked mostly in book publishing (both scholarly and commercial), but also with journals and individuals. I have done copy and proof editing, but I work primarily at the developmental and substantive stages.
Community Engagement
I speak regularly to community groups about writing and publishing; I also volunteer with groups on community education and social justice issues.
Education
My PhD is in Rhetoric and Composition; my MFA is in Creative Writing; my MA is in English Literature; my BS is in Liberal Studies.