I’m Molly Brookfield. I am a PhD in History and Women’s and Gender Studies and a former tenure-track professor at an elite small liberal arts college.
I founded Grey Duck to do more of what I loved in academia but didn’t get to do often enough in my role as a professor.
Developmental Editing
As a faculty member, I thrived on one-on-one mentoring, where I really got to know my students’ work and ideas. And I loved reading my colleagues’ writing and helping them articulate their insights clearly and engagingly. But I rarely found time to do the kind of deep reading and engagement that was necessary to do this work well.
Productivity Coaching
From my dissertating days to the final edits of my book manuscript, I was constantly seeking out writing workshops and co-writing groups where I could build accountability structures with peers and share skills and tips to make our writing practices more sustainable. But these groups were hard to find, and even when I did find them, they often only lasted a few weeks before colleagues’ schedules filled up and we all slowly drifted away.
Web and Document Design
When I got overwhelmed with the never-ending grading and lecture slide prep that came with teaching a full load, I found myself spending way too much time beautifying my CV, tweaking the layout of my faculty website, and creating eye-catching syllabi and flyers for campus events. I loved this work, but it was seen as superfluous (if not downright silly) and wasn’t rewarded in my academic role.
Research and Writing
Prior to getting my PhD and entering academia, I had worked in museums and historic sites for a few years. I missed the quicker pace of work in public history and longed for the opportunity to work on a wider variety of research and writing projects than my professor role allowed.
I realized I could do more of the collaborative work I loved if I worked freelance. So I started Grey Duck.
Why the name Grey Duck?
In most of the United States, children play the game “Duck, Duck, Goose.” In Minnesota, where I grew up and have recently returned, they play “Duck, Duck, Grey Duck.”
While it remains a bit of a mystery why Minnesotans are the only ones to play the game with grey ducks rather than geese, the nostalgia of the game has stuck with me through years of adulthood and multiple moves across both state and national borders.
So, Grey Duck Editing nods to my Minnesota roots, but it also connotes the way I aim to help your ideas stand out, the way the grey duck stands out amongst all those generic ducks on the playground.
