Projects
Books
Coming soon to my new shop! Orders begin November 2026.
Cat Dreams - A Gift Book for Cat Lovers Everywhere
Novels
Currently seeking agent representation for these novels:
Historic Fiction - Medieval Women’s Movement
On the rue des Jardins-St. Paul in Paris, lies the crumbling edifice of the medieval wall which once fortified the city and comprised the Royal Beguinage. Through the nearby portico, in 1308, came an independent beguine who had recently been arrested for writing and distributing her book, The Mirror of Simple Souls. Her name was Marguerite Porete, and she has the gruesome honor of being the first woman burned at the stake for heresy.
Upmarket Fiction - Feminists Takeover Santa Claus
Christmas is not a season, it is a cycle, especially for the millions of Santa Mamas who are responsible for making the magic. In the humble town of Hickory Creek, an unlikely trio of friends find themselves at the center of a movement to spotlight Mrs. Claus as the holiday’s true (s)hero.
Literary Citizenship
Rachel Gabriel shares her enthusiasm for writing and literature with youth and adults, often in an intergenerational setting.
“Literary citizenship reminds us that reading and writing are more than solitary pursuits. Books are conduits between time, place, and culture. Literary citizenship is an engagement with living, often local communities of readers and writers. How we show up for one another matters.” – Rachel Gabriel
“The Garden of Words”
Opening October 2026!
In a narrow corridor of the Center for Performing Arts building in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, grows an unusual sort of garden. Here the seeds are words; the flowers and vegetation are books. Vines of paper blooms meander through poems, quotes, and divergent questions. What kind of story do you love? What are you curious to learn about? How does reading foster the imagination?
Everyone is invited and encouraged to slow down, pause, and nourish themselves within the possibility of the printed word. There are books for readers of all ages, as well as writing prompts. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why? Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten. What is your earliest memory of reading?
The Garden of Words is for you. Read. Write. Dream.
Visitors may borrow a book on the honor system with the understanding that it belongs to The Garden of Words and should be returned. If you have books to share, please donate them to one of the many Little Libraries in the surrounding neighborhood.
“The Garden of Words is cultivated and curated by Rachel Gabriel, a multi-passionate artist in word, image, and song. She offers in-person and online opportunities for creative folk to flourish.”
Teaching Artist
My favorite part of teaching is the moment when a student’s face alights with understanding, and I witness the illumination of learning. Through reciprocal respect and curiosity, I love to facilitate creative flourishing in people of all ages and stages of development.
Recent Workshop Offering Example
Write. Read. Repeat. | A Revision Workshop
“I see revision as a beautiful word of hope,” writes Naomi Shihab Nye. “It’s a new vision of something. It means you don’t have to be perfect the first time. What a relief!”
Join award winning teaching artist, Rachel Gabriel, for a three hour workshop on the often misunderstood tool of revision.
Together, we will give new vision to your writing through a series of independent and small group exercises. We will focus on key areas of revision, including word choice, point of view, and sensory detail. This workshop is best suited to students who have generated writing that they are willing to change, play with, and transform.
Though there will be opportunities to share, this workshop is not a critique space. The teaching artist will begin by creating a safe circle for artistic growth by establishing classroom guidelines which include kindness and inclusivity to encourage writerly experimentation.
Bring three to five typed and printed pages of your work (prose and poetry both welcome), a pencil, and an open mind.
Here is an abbreviated list of classes and workshops I’ve created and offered, beginning in 2008 - the present.
I was awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award by the Loft Literary Center where I taught regularly for over a decade. I’ve also presented and offered workshops for the Transformative Language Arts Network, the Grand Marais Arts Colony, and Write On, Door Co.
Creative Writing 101 - How to Play with Words as Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction
Creative Nonfiction - An Introduction to Essay, Memoir, and Travelogue
Creative Nonfiction - How to Develop Voice and Structure in Memoir
Writing Family Stories - The Literary Foodie
Writing Family Stories - Sensory Details + Memory
Writing Family Stories - Character + Dialogue
Inspired by Place - Write Along the Mississippi River
Inspired by Place - Writing in the Art Museum
Learners say:
“That was fun! We took turns reading from the book. We worked together on writing, and then [Rachel] had me try some sentences on my own. She said I did a great job! And I can tell that [writing] is getting easier!”
- 7th grader involved in a language immersion school
“Rachel was able to clarify my work and encourage me to proceed when I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.”
Mary F., a poet, writer, and octogenarian
Community Activism
For many years, Rachel Gabriel facilitated a read and sing along storytime at Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis. Reading picture books and singing simple songs are timeless ways to care for children. These practices are accessible, joyful, and especially important to the developmental growth period between the ages of 0-5.
The purpose of Songs + Stories with Mama Ray was not to entertain a passive audience, but to engage families in spontaneous creativity at their neighborhood bookstore. Inspired by her personal experience as a mother, bibliophile, and registered Music Together teacher, Ms. Gabriel developed a playground for early literacy to share with the community.
A few of Rachel Gabriel’s favorite picture books:
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman
Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld