It’s A Dissertation is co-authored by a Duke University writing professor who has worked with new and almost-done Ph.D.s across disciplines for over 10 years, and by a psychotherapist who has coached ABDs across disciplines and has also counseled numerous others for over 25 years, helping them to overcome fears and obstacles so as to achieve their goals. Therefore, this book has the unique perspective of offering a fusion of writing and therapeutic strategies that have proven effective with helping dissertators complete their dissertations with less aggravation and in less time.

Denise K. Comer (@comerd) is an Assistant Professor of the Practice of Writing Studies and Director of First-Year Writing at Duke University. She teaches theme-based first-year writing seminars on such areas of inquiry as illness narratives, civic engagement, and travel writing.  She also teaches a first-year writing MOOC through Duke University and Coursera: English Composition I: Achieving Expertise, which has enrolled over two-hundred thousand people from around the world. Her scholarship, which has been published in such journals as Pedagogy, Writing Program Administrators Journal, and Composition Forum, explores writing pedagogy, writing program administration, and the intersections between technology and the teaching of writing. She has also authored a writing textbook, Writing in Transit (Fountainhead Press, 2015). She lives in North Carolina with her husband and their three children.
Website: http://sites.duke.edu/denisecomer/
Contact: comerd@duke.edu

Barbara Gina Garrett is a licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker who has been in private practice for over thirty years. As part of her psychotherapy practice, she has helped people achieve their goals (in many diverse parts of their lives) and overcome their fears and obstacles. She has coached ABD groups across disciplines, providing dissertators with the strategies they need to complete their dissertations. Her specific areas of expertise include anger therapy, depression therapy, and relationship therapy. Through these avenues, she is able to address many of the emotional obstacles that can hamper progress on dissertations. She has appeared as a guest expert on numerous radio and television broadcasts. She lives in North Carolina and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Website: http://www.therapistraleighnc.com/about_us.html
Contact: bggarrett@hotmail.com