Welcome. I’m Drea,
an Iowa-born writer and editor currently based in Denver, Colorado. I hold a BFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Naropa University, where I facilitate Tea ceremonies and co-manage a traditional Japanese tea house. I completed minors in Ecology and Peace Studies at the Royal University of Bhutan’s College of Natural Resources in 2018.
My primary creative practices are poetry and documentary-style photography. For two years until its pandemic-related closure, I managed Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe, one of three poetry-exclusive shops in North America and a major hub for literary poets. I have held numerous titles over the years—my work has been as multifarious in nature as the desires of the human soul.
Still curious? I’m a millennial. I grew up poor and didn’t leave my hometown until I turned 21, but I’ve traveled a lot and lived in three different countries since then. I keep myself busy studying chanoyu, learning Latin dance, and helping small businesses and creatives tell their stories. Keep reading for my Curriculum Vitae.
Education
Naropa University
BFA Creative Writing and Literature (2018)
Minors in Peace Studies and Ecology & Systems Science (GPA 3.8)
Naropa Way of Tea (Chadō) Student Club President
2019 recipient of the Jack Collom Memorial Scholarship for Writing & Ecology at Naropa’s renowned Summer Writing Program
SELECT Poetry Publications
Dead Beats (Dear A)
Tiny Spoon. Collaboration. (2021). Spring, Autumn, Winter.
Per Fran, amb Amor & What Keeps the Guru Silent
Entropy. (2017). Two poems.
Earlier works
Tenth Muse IV. (2014). Poetry and photogrpahs.
Ruix Zine. (2014). Poems.
Writing & Editing
Co-ZINE
EDITOR IN CHIEF (2016-2017)
Co-ZINE was a monthly online and print publication by and for LGBTQIA+ and allied voices. It provided diverse, vibrant, and educational content for readers in the Driftless Area. Co-ZINE was a social-justice-focused DIY project, run by a small team of volunteers.
Grain Magazine
DAAC Volunteer Staff (2014)
In 2014, I worked on the staff of Grain Magazine, a publication of the Dubuque Area Arts Collective. DAAC provided free arts education, gallery shows, and community-building events to emerging high-school and college-aged artists in the Dubuque area. My work appeared in Issue I and Issue III.
HER Magazine
INTERVIEWED 2017
In 2017, I was interviewed for the Dubuque Telegraph Herald’s Her Magazine for an article about young women who travel solo.
TENTH MUSE
EDITOR (2013)
In the 2013-2014 academic year, I worked with a team of my peers on the editorial staff of Clarke University's literary magazine.
Residency & Performance
Alchemy Art Center
Friday Harbor, Washington
In the summer of 2020, I held a residency at Alchemy Art Center on San Juan Island, where I lived in the forest with the wild foxes and practiced 35mm photography for experimental darkroom prints. I also had the opportunity to study ceramics and to help insulate geodesic domes with recycled materials for future residents and visiting artists to enjoy.
Hand to God
Trainwreck Productions
In August 2017, I played Jessica (and Jolene) in Robert Askins’ absolutely hilarious Hand to God, produced by Trainwreck Productions and directed by Ryan Decker in Dubuque, Iowa.
Erotica Vernissage
NASH GALLERY, DUBUQUE, IA
At the opening reception for the Erotica exhibit in 2014, my nude body was painted by artist Ivonne Simonds Fals live in front of an audience. Photography by Trish Feldman-Jansen.
April Fool’s Variety Show
Trainwreck Productions
In 2017 for a variety show by Trainwreck Productions, actor Logan Wright and I performed Nicholas Johnson’s two-piece, one-act play, Answering the Door and the Guy is Wearing a Straitjacket. Yep, I was the guy in a straitjacket.
What/Where Reading Series
NAROPA UNIVERSITY (2018)
At Naropa University’s annual reading series, I shared works from my travels to Bhutan. Poets featured the same year included J-Lyn Chapman, Corrine Deckers, Nicolas Gulig, Diana Khoi Nguyen, Mariko Nagai, Philip B. Williams, and Brian Blanchfield.
Punketry
Mutiny Information Cafe (2023)
Poetry performance set to improvised music by local psych-punk ensemble, Black Market Translation.
Trans Am (Wild Powwers)
Written, Directed, shot & Edited by Austin Bedell
Volunteer and Work History
Muslim Youth for Positive Impact (MYPI)
READING BUDDY (2022)
Read stories and practiced English as a second language over Zoom with Afghan children and families who have recently taken refuge in or immigrated to the Boulder/Denver area.
collective.aporia
INNISFREE WORKSHOP SERIES
From 2020 through mid-2022, I worked with the collective.aporia team to organize, facilitate and host equitable online literary readings and workshops with poets from diverse backgrounds. My main focus was the Innisfree Workshop Series, where we hosted many wonderful poets like Ross Gay, CA Conrad, Khadijah Queen, and so many more. You can see the archive here.
Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe
General manager, early 2019 to late 2020)
Kept things running at this well-known literary hub in Boulder, CO. Made the magic happen by cataloguing books, hiring and training your favorite baristas, ordering, accounting, and more. Organized and hosted events including poetry readings with high profile writers, a popular weekly open mic, and the BIPOC Boulder Creatives open mic series.
“I Have a Dream” Foundation of Boulder County
Classroom Support & One-On-One Tutor
From the autumn of 2017 through the winter of 2021, I provided support to at-risk students from marginalized communities in multiple age groups. I also held an internship in the central office (2019) entering data in Salesforce, running background checks, and assisting the volunteer department.
Earth Guardians Bhutan
Royal University of Bhutan College of Natural Resources
From January to June of 2018, attended weekly meetings with a group of over 50 members at the College of Natural Resources in Lobesa, Punakha. We worked together to stay up-to-date with current environmental news and issues, hosted educational community events, and engaged with projects like litter cleanup in the Punakha valley.
WorkAway
Menorca & Mallorca, Spain
In the winter of 2015/2016, I worked as a full-time gardener at a Buddhist temple on the island of Menorca, and then full-time as a caregiver for an elderly German woman on the island of Mallorca. I even came back for three weeks the following spring to visit her again!
Great Midwestern Educational Theatre Company
Volunteer - Dubuque, IA
I worked with GMETC twice in 2012: I was a camp counselor for two weeks at Frogwarts (a magic-themed K-12 summer camp) and then as a general assistant at the Imagination Celebration (a creative community-building event for families with children).
Hell's Backbone Grill Garden
Boulder, Utah (2014)
In the summer of 2014, I did a work exchange at this organic, farm-to-table restaurant garden in Boulder, Utah. Volunteers at the farm pull weeds, maintain beds, transplant, harvest and preserve food, and help at the restaurant.
Jitterz Coffee & Café
Dubuque, IA
Worked as a barista for a few years, serving up locally roasted coffee in downtown Dubuque, Iowa. Jitterz is a community staple, especially during Sunday farmer’s markets.
More experience...
The School of Life
I’ve also worked as a writing mentor, ghost writer, grocer, farmhand, nanny, and held various positions in food service. Now what am I forgetting...?
Awards, Trainings, and Certifications
Project Management
Google Project Management Certificate
Completion date TBD.
Artist Apprenticeship and Creative Coach Training
Studio Light Illustration (2021)
More details coming soon.
Awards
Richard Sherman Literary Award for poetry (Clarke University, 2014)
Mary Blake Finan Literary Award for short fiction (Clarke University, 2014)
Conflict de-escalation, non-violent communication, & diversity trainings
More details coming soon.