The Word on the Street
In this “heart-stopping debut…Kelly resists painting herself as a victim, instead suffusing her story with gratitude and humility. It’s an immensely moving story of one woman’s unconquerable spirit.”
— starred & boxed review, Publisher’s Weekly
“And to Bernadette Murphy, who spent countless hours with me, holding my hand through the entire process, reading, editing and rearranging words to help me make it all make sense: thank you.”
— Minka Kelly
“The best celebrity memoir of the year.”
— Harper’s Bazaar
Forthcoming book and documentary film: Mollie’s Pack
On January 12, 1995 wolves returned to Yellowstone, 50 years after their extirpation. Mollie Beattie, the first female director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, carried the first Canadian born wolf into the Park’s experimental acclimation enclosure, Alpha Female Wolf No. 5. From that day forward, their lives would be forever connected. This is the true story of Mollie’s Pack.
“Thank you to Bernadette Murphy, who helped bring my words and ideas together into a cohesive manuscript. Without her professionalism, creativity, persistence, and agility, this book never would have come to fruition.”
— Glen Van Peski
“Bernadette is a joy to work with. She has an uncanny ability to translate an author’s voice to the page, and to make even complicated subject matter easy to understand. The editorial process was smooth. A true professional.”
— Mauro DiPreta, Senior Vice President & Executive Editor, William Morrow
“Running the book department at UTA creates a tremendous need for ghostwriters, editors, and other professionals who can help our clients navigate the process. And what you learn quickly is nothing is more valuable than those who do this well. Which is exactly what Bernadette does. She is a professional of the highest level and I cannot recommend her enough.”
— Byrd Leavell, United Talent Agency
“Bernadette Murphy, you were my editorial rock throughout this journey, asking questions and challenging me to write with more honesty and heart. Every author would be lucky to have you pushing them on.”
— Undisclosed cable news personality whose book was named Best Nonfiction 2019 by Kirkus Reviews
“To write our mother-daughter memoir about autism, we had to balance two very different stories. It was vitally important to me that the perspective of my mostly nonverbal daughter Emily be told in her own words. We accomplished this via in-person interviews with Emily as well as through her poetry and prose. Bernadette helped enormously in weaving the threads of our stories together. At every stage, Bernadette pulled back the curtain of the book creation process to make it comprehensible. I couldn’t be prouder of the final book.”
— Valerie Gilpeer, author with Emily Grodin, I Have Been Buried Under Years of Dust: A Memoir of Autism and Hope
“You were there from the beginning, and I am eternally grateful for your teachings, your books and other writings, our gatherings, and just the kindness and care you've shown me and so very many others.”
— Cassandra Lane, author, We Are Bridges: A Memoir, Winner of the Louise Meriwether First Book Prize
“Bernadette is one of the most conscientious writers with whom I’ve worked. She always goes above and beyond to deliver.”
— Madeleine Morel, Literary Agent and Founder, 2M Communications Ltd
“Thank you for the fantastic work you did on the book. It reads so beautifully and I appreciate what an essential role you played in the process.”
— Jessica Sindler, Editor HarperCollins
“I’d written an essay in one of her classes at UCLA years ago and she told me after reading it: “Heather, this is a book.” Now, two days ago, I signed a book deal, my manuscript ignited by that essay. Bernadette was with me every step of the way as I wrote this book. I could not have accomplished this without her.”
— Heather Haldeman, author, Kids & Cocktails Don’t Mix: A Memoir, Apprentice House Books, Spring 2021
“Bernadette is a master of craft, obviously, but where she excels is in making the material accessible and applicable across all genres. While I am not brave enough (yet) to deep dive into creative nonfiction, Bernadette is at home giving useful feedback and guidance across the board. Feedback was useful, pointed and ultimately helped me hone my own inner voice. I became a better first draft writer in part because of her instruction."
— Chandra Hoffman, author, What Pretty Gets You
“Bernadette Murphy is the perfect combination of direct and empathetic in her feedback. She has a keen eye for story structure and the unique vision to bring the underlying themes of your work to the surface. Her ability to bring together the disparate elements of craft, message, plot, and structure in one's work are a true gift. I’ve worked with her on several projects now and can truly recommend no one else higher!”
— Levi Rogers, author, Utah!: A Novel
“I came to Bernadette, trembling inside, not sure I was really a writer at all, bursting with pieces of a story that I knew somehow belonged together. She gave me the courage to hold onto those pieces and gather them on the pages. I am amazed that Fireflies was born from that original strange uncertainty. It’s a book I am deeply proud of. Bernadette’s supportive guidance and encouragement were the beginning, my first real steps as a writer.”
— Heather Gordon Young, author Fireflies: Finding Light in a Dark World
“I met Bernadette during a month-long writing retreat in Bali where she served as my writing coach. Bernadette asked pointed questions that helped me develop the story and the characters, and she gently nudged me forward when I was floundering. With her consistent feedback and encouragement, I forged the first draft. She's a joy to work with!”
— Melanie Hatter, author Malawi's Sisters, winner Kimbilio National Fiction Prize judged by Edwidge Dandicat
“Bernadette Murphy is collaborative, insightful, and always looking to bring out the best in her authors. She cares deeply about her craft and that shows up consistently in the terrific work she produces. Bernadette is as dedicated as they come and a true partner.”
— Michael Palgon, Literary Agent, The Palgon Company
“Bernadette embodies the best combination of ease, enthusiasm, professionalism, and fun! If you are looking for stimulating conversations that generate ideas that deliver results, Bernadette is your person!”
— JL Stermer, Literary Agent, New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc.
“Coming from a background heavy in non-literary disciplines I really only possessed the basic concepts regarding writing. I knew what I liked, what I didn’t, what made a sentence work, and an inherent understanding of how to tell a story. Yet all the important bits, the nuts and bolts of structure, character development, unity, coherence, and revision that make for great writing, eluded me. Working with Bernadette filled in a lot of the blanks. She pushed me to dig deeper, to ask myself the hard questions, and to read my work as the reader would. Bernadette took me to the next level and instilled a much needed sense of myself as a writer and strengthened my confidence and ability.”
— Patrick O'Neil, author Gun, Needle, Spoon: A Memoir
“Thank you to Bernadette Murphy for editing this handbook and providing creative insight.”
— Molly Dresner, author, The Speech Teacher’s Handbook
“Bernadette and I worked on four books together and for each of them she was able to find the exactly right voice and tone. Her love of writing shows on every page as she strives to convey emotions and ideas to a reader in the best possible way.”
— Bonnie Nadell, Literary Agent, Hill Nadell Literary Agency
“Bernadette Murphy is an incredible writer and editor, deeply attuned to language and the process of revision, and able to keep one eye on the big picture narrative and the other on the importance of building it, sentence by sentence, line by line. Strongly recommended.”
— Dan Smentanka, Vice President and Editor In Chief, Counterpoint Press