Amanda D
- Research Program Mentor
MFA at New York University
Expertise
Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Podcasts, Multimedia Art/Writing
Bio
I have worked with various editorial publications (online & print), teaching students creative writing across the world in places such as Nicaragua, Italy, Maine, and New York City. I am driven to empower writers in sharing their unique stories on and off the page while building confidence and literary skills. My teaching is centered on vulnerability and creativity, especially across diverse and inclusive spaces. I love live theatre, concerts, Boston Terriers, and books (I'm currently hitting up every bookstore in NYC on my bucket list!). We'll invest in positive risk-taking and take your project to a place you may not even currently realize is possible. I'm excited to meet you!Project ideas
Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
Beyoncé as Poetry? Street Performance as Prose?
Rap. Movies. Musicals. That street performer who jumped over your head. Writing does not just mean a poem by a white man from the 1800s. Writing is the accordion player on the subway. The giggling baby dancing in a snow suit. Through this project we'll uncover how words show up in our everyday surroundings through (non?)fiction and poetry, using as many artistic mediums as you wish.
Feminist Art/Writing
This project would revolve around intersectional feminism through time, combining various art forms you're interested in. Movie clips and podcast excerpts centered on feminist leaders can be woven into poetry, creating a 4D sensory experience for viewers.
Teaching experience
I have taught English, Creative Writing, and Playwriting in Nicaragua, Italy, Maine, and New York City to all ages for the past ten years. This includes guiding student publications in English and Spanish, teaching at 2 creative writing nonprofits, and tutoring students in writing. As a poet, I have received support from the Kenyon Review Writers Workshops and the Sewanee Writers' Conference. I was one of two finalists for the 2022 Action, Spectacle contest judged by Mary Jo Bang, as well as the winner of the 2023 Peseroff Prize in Poetry selected by Jake Skeets. My poems have been nominated for 2025 Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize, appearing in publications such as Stanford’s Poetry Journal Mantis, FENCE 25th Anniversary Issue, Portland Review, and Southeast Review, among others.Credentials
Work experience
The Telling Room (2020 - 2022)
Writing Teacher, Ambassador, & Publishing Team826NYC (2022 - Current)
Teaching Artist -- Creative WritingOutreach 360 & San Gaspare School (2017 - 2020)
English Teacher in Jinotega, Nicaragua & Florence, ItalyCommunity Word Project (2022 - Current)
Teaching Artist -- Poetry & ArtEducation
Marist College
BA Bachelor of Arts (2020)
English, Creative Writing, Literature, & TheatreNew York University
MFA Master of Fine Arts (2022)
Creative Writing (Poetry)