About

Hello! I am Monica Saxton, native Washingtonian, English teacher, writer, and a “causal photographer”!  Because I truly do believe that one picture can be worth (more than) a thousand words, I have started this blog to share the intersection of two of my creative areas of interest. I choose a picture that I have taken, and I write 1,000 words in response to it. Teaching high school English, as you might imagine, is rather stressful at times, so writing and photography have been ways that I escape some of that stress and hone skills in other areas. So far, I am a self-taught photographer; all of the knowledge that I have of my camera and of composing shots comes from my own reading and practice. My hope is that ultimately, all of my creative endeavors will serve to feed and nurture one another: the pictures, my writing, and even my teaching.

And now here’s some info about ME!

I was born, raised, and currently live in Washington, DC. I am a product of DC Public Schools, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where I majored in English and also earned a Master of Teaching in English Education, and American University in Washington, DC where I earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, specializing in fiction. I teach English in Silver Spring, Maryland, and have done so since 2007.

So far, you can find a short story of mine in District Lines Vol. 5: Winter 2017, published by Politics and Prose Bookstore, Washington, DC.

After doing a few favors for my friends, investing in photography software and gear, practicing, reading, and actually not spending enough time on my writing, the seed of an idea was planted, and from there it grew into this new endeavor – Pictures Worth a Thousand Words. I hope that you will come back again and again to read my blog. Thank you for reading!