Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Kinsey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

In my high school, there were no teachers who knew much about poetry or read any modern poets to share with me. I was only exposed to the few poems in the literature anthologies that meant nothing to me at the time, so I was writing in a vacuum. It wasn’t until I started reading poetry on my own that I realized the power in the genre. I wish I would have had a mentor to guide me, someone who could have shared poets that would have mattered to me as a teenager. Taking initiative and being curious have always helped me reach my goals, and now I have plenty of mentor poets; I’m also trying to be that mentor poet I desperately longed for when I needed one.

Reading poetry aloud and hearing it performed truly “changed the game” for me. Because I’m an actor, it felt natural to embrace it. Also, I have YouTube, social media, and open mics to introduce me to new poets and see/hear them perform their work. I still read a lot of page poetry which is absolutely essential to learning the craft. Poetic devices remain the same for all poets.

Sometimes I feel torn between page poetry and spoken word, not sure where I belong. There are times when my page poems work well as spoken word and vice versa. When I have a burning topic, I always have to stop and think about which form will be most effective in conveying my theme.

Honestly, I think full-time classroom teaching made it difficult for me to find enough time and energy to write. Now that I’m a teaching artist, it’s much better because grading and administrative tasks are removed. Being involved in a community with writers I respect has also made a huge difference. I didn’t have time to read or respond to anyone else’s drafts when I was in my classroom. Now I can, and these writers reciprocate. I no longer write in a vacuum.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a spoken word poet, actor, freelance writer, fine-arts teacher, and interview coach. I have a BA in English from King’s College and an MA in Theater from Villanova University. I recently was selected as Lancaster City’s Poet Laureate.

My artistic journey began when I was a child. As an avid reader and writer, I dreamt of seeing my name in print. In addition, I auditioned for my first play in high school and have been immersed in all aspects of theater ever since. I believe spoken word is a hybrid form of poetry and theatre, so it’s a natural fit for me.

I write poetry on commission and perform at many types of events. As Poet Laureate, I performed at Mental Health America’s Suicide Prevention Seminar. Recently, I created a poetic wedding ceremony, wrote a dedication poem for a cousin’s baby’s baptism, and wrote poetic interludes for a tribute to social workers as part of Sankofa African American Theater Company.

My poetry and prose have been published by several national and international literary journals, including ​Teaching Theatre, SWWIM, Sweet Lit, Wild Roof Journal, Streetcake, On The Sea Wall, Hive, Sledgehammer Lit, West Trestle Review, Drunk Monkeys, ONE ART, Prose Online, The Champagne Room, Writers Resist, Fledgling Rag, Equinox, Anti-Heroin Chic, and more.

My poetry chapbook Mixtape Venus was published in April, 2022, from I. Giraffe Press. It was featured as the “Wardrobe’s Best Dressed” for the Sundress Blog at Sundress Publications.
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My play, WaterRise, premiered at the Gene Frankel Theatre in Greenwich Village in 2015 and was also produced by Sagesse Productions as a short film.

I’m a teaching artist with Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Delaware Division of the Arts. I’ve coached and hosted Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation contest, in both PA and DE for 15 years. I’ve also served as a judge for Get Lit!

I volunteer for Brighter Tomorrow, an organization that aids African refugees and immigrants, as a spoken word teacher and mentor. I also teach writing to immigrants from all countries for Church World Services.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

My life revolves around words, so I move through the world seeking inspiration. Each new person I meet, fact I learn, book I read, place I travel, food I taste, relationship I foster, student I mentor, happiness I experience, and sadness I feel all feed into my art. My goal is connecting to others, but also entertaining and empowering. My mind is rarely focused on much else. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy life; it just means I constantly turn things into poems. Healing is something I do publicly in my spoken word pieces; this can be an uncomfortable truth. It also means some of my deepest secrets make their way to the surface and are amplified through a microphone. This feels dangerous and unnecessary to many non-creatives.

My best moments are spent alone. When I’m in the midst of writing or rehearsing something new, I’m “off the grid,” my phone is off, and I’m sometimes inaccessible. This tends to bother or hurt people. It shouldn’t. If it’s Friday night, and I have something that’s evolving into art, I’m at my computer. While I try not to cancel plans or let people down, I often get lost in my work and lose track of time.

This never means the people I love lose importance or I don’t prioritize them. It just means I have to work harder at balance. If I say no to invitations or guard my time too carefully, it doesn’t mean I enjoy isolation. What I need is often time on my own to create and think, read and study, learn and grow.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want people to find the freedom and confidence to tell their own stories, create art they’re proud of, use their creativity to heal and thrive.

To this end, I love sharing my poems, especially on a stage with a mic, because if I can model being vulnerable and taking risks, then it might give people courage. Teaching and watching my students win fuels me, but it has to be in communion with my own work.

Wielding words is my passion, so as long as I’m creating and inspiring in some way, I’m happy. As Lancaster City Poet Laureate, I have access to many beautiful venues and get to meet many inspiring people. My art has given me the richest life I could ever have imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wordsbydk.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dana.kinsey/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dana.kinsey2
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danakinsey/
• Twitter: https://x.com/DanaKinsey20
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danakinsey8822

Image Credits

Ángel Rafael