About Laura Zimmerman

Since the early 1980s to the present, LAURA ZIMMERMAN has worked with authors, publishers, and the reading public, first as one of the owners of New Words Bookstore; then as co-founder and co-director of the Center for New Words; and most recently, as a founder and chair of the annual national conference Women, Action, and Media (WAM!). During this period, she also served as Poetry Editor and Associate Editor of Sojourner, the national women’s newspaper, and as a freelance editor for a diverse list of clients.

Earlier, in 1975, Laura received a Master’s degree (MTS) from the Harvard Divinity School. Throughout the 1970s, she participated in the mental health field as a teacher, clinician, and community activist. A long-time practitioner and student of Buddhism, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Cambridge Insight Mediation Society (CIMC), and also as sponsor and advocate for newly-arrived Tibetan immigrants and their families in Boston.

“Laura Zimmerman is an immensely gifted editor, on whom I have relied for more than 20 years. Her literary acumen and creativity have helped me shepherd to publication projects ranging from a widely read science book to national magazine articles to personal essays.”
—Madeline Drexler
“Laura Zimmerman gave me invaluable assistance on my last two novels, patiently helping me figure out the right structure and style for each one, then combing through each chapter to test for coherence. I can’t imagine what I would have done without her advice and support She is one of the most intelligent, careful, perceptive readers I’ve ever met.”
—Suzanne Berne

Past Projects