"I am English Department Chair, a teacher with 39 years of experience and a District Literacy Coach. I say that not to impress – but for you to understand how impressed I am with Ms. Donnelly. She is one of the best.”

"Marisa is an inspiration and a talent. Her words are eloquent and universal. She has a way of making you feel like you can relate in every piece. Not only her blog posts, but her poetry. She is passionate about what she does and passionate about connecting with her readers. That genuine energy makes a huge difference and sets her apart in the literary community."

"Marisa brings light to everything and everyone she encounters. Humble, graceful, loving, encouraging, understanding, magical, and supportive are all words I would use to describe Marisa and her work.   She brightens my life and thousands of other lives daily. She is one of Thought Catalog's most loved authors.   I read 'Somewhere On A Highway' when I was writing my own book in 2017. Her poetry and rawness encouraged me to keep writing when my vulnerability wanted me to stop.  At the time, I had no idea she would end up encouraging me to publish my own book 'This Will Set Me Free' with Thought Catalog Books.   Marisa is true gold. She lifts others up, gives feedback to less established authors to help them grow, and brings an awareness to every day human struggles eloquently. I'd recommend this book, and all past and future work of Marisa, to anyone."

"I wouldn't be able to call myself 'writer' without the help of Marisa Donnelly. She's the reason behind my success when it comes to writing.   I was one of those people who was afraid to share his voice to the world, but Marisa extended her help and even gave me wonderful tips on how to improve my skills. She's not just your editor but also your friend. She will remember you even if you are worlds apart. She writes from her heart, helps everyone with her talent and brilliant ideas.   Be A Light is really about her. She's the light for everyone and one day, I wouldn't be surprise if she's going to be the brightest light in this world."

"Several of her poems touched me. I am a big Mary Oliver fan and have several of her books on my shelf and maybe a half dozen by other poets and Donnelly's book is going on that shelf of keepers, on poetry books that I re-read and refer to...that inspire me to make a piece of art or share with a friend. "Run Wild With Me", "Sixteen", and "This You Must Learn Young" were among my favorites. I hope that she continues to write poetry of this caliber."