Love Letters to Your Younger Self

Theresa Davis is the mother of three and was a classroom teacher for over twenty years. She reclaimed her love for poetry sixteen years ago after the loss of her father.  Since his death she has emerged as a nationally recognized slam poet, youth advocate, and teacher of poetry. Theresa co-founded the Art Amok Slam Team, and has competed in multiple national and regional competitions culminating in 2011 when she took first place in the Women of the World Poetry Slam Competition. In recognition of her years of activism on behalf of Atlanta’s youth, she was honored by the City of Atlanta with a proclamation, declaring May 22, “Theresa Davis Day in Atlanta”.  In July 2012, in partnership with the City of Atlanta’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Theresa released her chapbook “Simon Says”–poems about teaching with anti-bullying themes. In addition to being a teaching artist and outreach poetry coordinator for Georgia Tech for the last 6 years, Theresa hosts and participates in many of the lit events around Atlanta. She also produces the talent filled variety shows Poems and Pasties and Madmen and Poets. Theresa’s one-woman show “Then They’ll Tell You it’s all in Your Head” made its debut as a part of 7 Stages Home Brew series in fall of 2017. Her new poetry collection “Drowned: A Mermaid’s Manifesto”, was released with Sibling Rivalry Press, in fall of 2016 and was awarded “Ten Books All Georgians Should Read” in 2017. In addition to serving the community as a teaching artist, she is also the Literary Events Coordinator for The Arts Exchange. Along with long walks on the beach, Theresa enjoys bacon, brunch and books. Her favorite colors are purple and shiny.