Volume Three: Chapter Fourteen - Our Conversation with Dara Kalima (Part One)

In Volume Three: Chapter Fourteen, we welcomed Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Actress and Author of the Book Still Laughin', Dara Kalima. Young Dara, the loud and proud Bronx resident, was introduced to poetry and story writing around the age of nine. She even shared her first short story to her 4th grade class for story hour. But it was at 16 that she started to really acknowledge and honor her artistic inclinations. She became a founding member of a local youth theater and simultaneously started writing poetry on a monthly basis. She obtained her BA in Literature with a concentration in Drama Studies. At 25, after losing her only sister to breast cancer, Dara began honing her craft as poet, exploring life post her profound loss and essentially worked out her grief on pages and stages. She later pursued her MA in Educational Theater and also received her MPA in Nonprofit Administration. Though unofficially studying under Natalie Goldberg for over two decades, Dara officially began being guided by her as of 2019. Dara is inspired by the works of Allen Ginsberg, TS Eliot, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Sonia Sanchez, Saul Williams and Staceyann Chin.Connect with Dara:IG: @kaliskameraWebsite: darakalima.comTwitter: @kaliskornerRecorded spoken word performances in this Chapter include:Ebony Stewart: Mental Health BarzIG: @gullyprincessTwitter: @ebpoetryWebsite: ebpoetry.comSummer Durant: SameTwitter: @summera3nWebsite: summeraen.comIG: @summeraenJoseph Capehart: Bad IdeasWebsite: josephcapehart.comIG: @okjsphTwitter: @misterkeyportLoyce Gayo: How We ForgetTwitter: @loycegayoIG: @loycegayoWebsite: loyceg.github.ioConnect with, then listen and subscribe to the following podcasts we recommend:The Words I Never Said podcastIG: @gods_ink_spokenwordLife as We Grow It podcastIG: @lifeaswegrowitTwitter: @lifeaswegrowitThe Spoken World podcastTwitter: @spokenpodcast Website: thespokenwordpodcastIG: @thespokenworldUnspoken Words podcastIG: @unspokenwordspodcastTwitter: @beckythepoetYouTube:  Unspoken WordsWebsite: beckythepoet.comJourney with Mpho podcastIG: @journeywithmphoWebsite: journeywithmpho.comSupport the show