Cynthia Dewi Oka

is a poet, community educator and author of nomad of salt and hard water (Dinah Press, 2012). She was born and raised in Bali, Indonesia and lived for many years as a visitor in Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories prior to residing in the US East Coast. Her poems have appeared in both the United States and Canada, including in the publications 580 Split, Kweli Journal, SCHOOL Magazine, Briarpatch Magazine, Borderline Poetry, Zócalo Poets, Generations Literary Magazine, among others. She is a co-founder and member of Press Release, a collective of poets which responds collaboratively to social issues affecting their communities. They have produced two chapbooks, survaillance (2010) and m'aidez (2012). Cynthia is also a member of the Cinderblock Poets, a collective dedicated to the development of poetic craft through the study of wide-ranging, diverse traditions of poetry; rigorous readings of each other's work; and collaborative projects. In 2010, Cynthia released her first chapbook, poems from the cracks. As a scholar and community organizer, Cynthia has had essays published in Studies in Political Economy, CitizenShift and Leftturn: the Global Intifada. She is a young mother and an alumnus of the Voices of Our Nations (VONA) Writing Workshops (www.voicesatvona.org).