About Me

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Young Dara, a loud and proud Bronx native, found her way to poetry and storytelling around the age of seven. By fourth grade, she shared her first short story with her classmates during reading hour. But it wasn’t until sixteen that she truly embraced her artistic calling, becoming a founding member of the Creative Arts Team Youth Theater while simultaneously diving into poetry. She later earned a BA in Literature with a concentration in Drama Studies.

At twenty-five, after losing her only sister to breast cancer, Dara turned to poetry as a way to process her grief—filling pages and stepping onto stages to explore life beyond loss. She went on to pursue an MA in Educational Theater and an MPA in Nonprofit Administration.

Though she had studied Natalie Goldberg’s work for over two decades, she officially began learning under her mentorship in 2019. Dara draws inspiration from literary giants such as Allen Ginsberg, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Samuel Beckett, Tennessee Williams, Sonia Sanchez, Saul Williams, Staceyann Chin, and V (formerly Eve Ensler).

Her theatrical career spans acting, sound design, stage management, and directing across Black and Latinx community theaters in the Northeast, including the HADLEY Players, Teatro LATEA, and Aaron Davis Hall. As a poet, she has performed on several iconic New York City stages, including Bowery Poetry Café, Nuyorican Poets Café, and the Triad Theater. Her international debut came in 2018, followed by an Off-Broadway debut in 2021. She has been featured on WBAI’s Perspectives and made six stage appearances at the NYC Poetry Festival between 2021 and 2024.

The seeds for Black Man, Black Woman, Black Child were planted in 1999 with the title poem, though it wasn’t until 2015 that she decided to share her work with the world. She later chronicled her #MeToo story in Casualty of Love and explored intersectional feminism in Two X Chromosomes with an Extra Shot of Melanin. In 2021, Dara released Still Laughin’, her Writer's Digest Honorable Mention Award-winning memoir, offering both hilarious and challenging glimpses into her life.

Dara’s books have found homes in over half the United States and seven countries worldwide. She has written over 2,000 poems, numerous essays, and blog posts, with her work appearing in publications such as Please See Me, The Amistad, Great Weather for Media, Arts by the People, Moonstone Press, Gnashing Teeth, Bookends Review, and African Voices.

Beyond her own writing, Dara is deeply committed to uplifting other writers. She founded and facilitates Black Authors Collaborative, a Facebook group supporting both seasoned and aspiring authors. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she co-founded The Art of Breathing and Writing with Catherine Man, combining writing and breathwork for healing. As Vice President of Poetix University, she helped poets refine their craft, co-edited anthologies, and shaped workshop curricula.

Following the passing of Bobby Gonzalez, she inherited his Spoken Word 101 workshop and contributed to Kevin Powell’s Writing Workshop, serving as an editor for 2020: The Year That Changed America. She continues to host the monthly Friday Night Writes session and actively participates in the Honey Drippers Poetry Collective.

Dara’s creative reach extends beyond the written word—she hosts the podcast On Behalf Of, amplifying voices from various communities. She also co-hosted Word2Wordz with Tonii2Eyes and works with iiPublishing, helping writers bring their books to life. A dedicated teaching artist, she offers corporate performances and freelance writing workshops.

As an artist, Dara doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. Her poetry is activism—tackling identity, systemic racism, sexism, sexual assault, reproductive rights, healthcare access, and emotional healing. She stands boldly on diverse stages, challenging audiences with her truth. It was this fearless dedication that earned her the title The Community Poet, despite her initial hesitation about carrying such a responsibility. Her intense, no-nonsense approach to teaching the craft also led The Anthology to lovingly dub her The Poetic Sadist.

Dara Kalima, The Community Poet, is always up for a good conversation—but beware, you might just spark the next verse, blog post, or chapter in her book.