Artist Statement
“When you write, you want what you write to be real. You want your readers to experience the things you’re writing about. You do this by paying attention to the world outside of yourself and the world inside of yourself, and how they both affect each other––then you try to get that onto the page. That’s what I try to do when I write, and it’s what I help other people learn to do when I teach.” David Surface has published stories in a wide variety of literary journals including North American Review, Doubletake, Fiction, Crazyhorse, and Shadows & Tall Trees. He has been nominated multiple times for the Pushcart Prize in Fiction, and was the recipient of a fellowship in Non-Fiction Literature from the New York Foundation for the Arts.
Educational Background
Teaching Artist Experience
As a teaching artist, David designs and leads writing programs in a wide range of community settings. He works extensively as a writer-in-the-schools for ArtsWestchester and Teachers & Writers Collaborative, leading writing residencies in public schools throughout Westchester County and New York City. He is writer-in-residence at Rockland Psychiatric Center where he leads ongoing writing workshops for adults living with mental illness. He is also founder and director of the Veterans Writing Workshop which provides free writing workshops for U.S. veterans and their families.
