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poet.
performer. activist. teacher.
Dora is descendant of traveling gypsies, Irish Golden-gloved boxers, and strong women, whose stories and the telling of them prompted her lifelong fascination with the written and spoken word. Raised in the weave of words and worlds, Dora continues the family traditions of using the personal story to explore memory and conjecture, community and culture, and the intersections between the private and political. Dora combines her passion for language and performance with her dedication to activism, using poetry, performance and speaking to raise awareness of the issues of domestic and sexual violence, and teaching writing, performance, creativity and social justice as means of empowerment and healing.
For her efforts, Dora was awarded in November 2003 the Fifth Annual Pennsylvania Governor's Victim Service Pathfinder Award and was recognized by the Pennsylvania Senate for her use of original poetry, performance and public speaking as activism and advocacy on behalf of survivors of domestic and sexual violence and for her commitment to community development throughout the state. In 2005, Dora was selected as a Vagina Warrior Honoree by the Penn State production of Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues. Kate Bogle's short film, One Woman's Voice, distributed by Penn State Media Sales, documents Dora's combined roles as poet, teacher and activist. Dora is featured in Suzanne Keller's Book Free Spirits, and her image is soon to appear in Mike Pilato's State College Public Mural Project, Inspirations.
Maintaining a busy performance and speaking schedule, Dora lends art to activism nationally and internationally, both individually and with the all-women performance group, The NeoSpinsters, that she co-founded with poet/performance artist, Pat Payne, which also includes poet Reina Prado. Dora has performed, held workshops and spoken in a variety of venues including colleges, universities and high schools, television and radio programs, political rallies, conferences and community events, as well as men's and women's prisons, batterer's intervention and justice programs, women's shelters, and churches. A few of the many organizations with whom Dora has worked and/or to whom she has spoken include: The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Subcommittee on Racial and Gender Bias, The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Impact of Violence Program in several Pennsylvania prisons for men, as well as correctional facilities for women, among many others. A detailed list of Dora's appearances is offered on the speeches, performances and workshops pages on this site.
Dora is the author of the scorched earth, and its compact disc companion, the scorched earth: spoken, as well as the commissioned poem, Around This Table, written for the 25th Anniversary of the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence to benefit the Memorial Fund for women whose lives were lost to domestic violence. Dora's work has been incorporated into anthologies, including the forthcoming 2007 anthology of New Mexico poets and writers, EARTHSHIPS, the SOMOS 2006 anthology, CHOKECHERRIES, and The Juicebox Project, an audio anthology of State College, Pennsylvania poets, as well as books, plays, films, musical compositions, law enforcement and judicial training programs in Pennsylvania, required course readings, newsletters, and domestic and sexual violence vigils.
After teaching in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Penn State for seven years, Dora began pursuing her writing, performance and activism full-time in the second half of 2006. She served as Poet-In-Residence at the Harwood Museum of Art and was also awarded a Poet-In-Residence position at Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, both in Taos, New Mexico. She (finally!) completed her next collection of poems (check back for release date!) and collaborated with acclaimed photographer Lenny Foster, owner of The Living Light Photography Gallery and Studio in Taos, NM, on two projects, including a 2007 calendar and a poetry and photography book, which is due for September 2007 release. Both the calendar and fine art book are entitled The Way of The Heart. Dora and Lenny have begun another poetry and photography collaboration, entitled The Dreamtime of Horses, to be premiered in July 2007 at The El Monte Sagrado Resort in Taos, New Mexico. Check back for release date of The Way of The Heart fine art book, and announcements about The Dreamtime of Horses show, book and calendar release dates, as well. To learn more about Lenny Foster, view a sampling of his photography, or book him for your photography needs, check out www.LennyFoster.com.
Dora currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of The Yaxche Learning Center and mentor in the SOMOS Youth Mentorship Program, both in Taos, NM. She is also the Co-founder and Co-director of Wordstock: State College PA's Annual Festival of Language. Although she travels a lot to do work she believes herself blessed to be able to do, Dora still calls both New Mexico and Pennsylvania home.
To learn more about Lenny Foster, view a sampling of his photography, or book Lenny for your photography needs, please check out www.LennyFoster.com
AWARDS
For
current schedule:
Dora's
Readings
Dora's Speeches
Dora
is available for readings, speaking dates, and workshops
on writing, creativity, and/or performance.
To discuss bookings with Dora, or to order books or cd's, please contact her at:
575.613.2947
doramcquaid@doramcquaid.com |
