Theresa Davis - 2011 WoWPS Champ

Born into a family of writers and entertainers, Theresa Davis was drawn to the arts. She has expressed her artistic abilities in several mediums. She designed and created Ebony Angels (a line of hand-crafted dolls) , Mental Notes (hand-crafted books) and started a clothing line for children. A teacher for 18 years, she currently teaches middle school using the arts across the curriculum. In 2002, Theresa joined forces with her mother and brother to form the spoken word performance group MoDaSo (Mother/ Daughter/ Son) and released two music CD's "This is for Family" and "The Uncivil War". She has self-published four collections of poetry.

Theresa Davis is one of Atlanta's best known performance poets, giving voice to the things that you've been thinking but never could articulate. Theresa has gone on to forge an impressive career as a solo performer, winning poetry slams and featuring at spoken word venues around Atlanta and the nation, as well as leading writing and performance workshops and headlining conferences across the southeast. She is a member of The Word Diversity Collective/Art Amok and represented Atlanta as a member of the 2006 - 2010 Art Amok Slam Team. In 2009 Theresa was ranked 8th female poet in the world as a finalist in the Women of the World Poetry Slam. Theresa Davis has shared the stage with Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Pearl Cleage and Doria Roberts in The Vagina Monologues, with Bernice Johnson Reagan (Sweet Honey in the Rock) and recently with Def Poet Jon Goode in their joint production of "Wish You Were Here" at 7 Stages Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.

In March of 2011, Theresa set out to compete in the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Columbus Ohio. She learned after making travel arrangements that she was not registered. She tried to win the video slam for entry. She lost. She tried to win the Last Chance Slam upon arrival, but in a gangster move the slam was a competition of fifteen poets cut to five, she was first and because of the dreaded score creep she was sure she would not make it past the cut. She was right. She stalked the registration table the next morning wondering if any poets dropped out. They didn't. She attended the poet orientation because she didn't quite know what to do with her body. After registration she signed up to be a sacrificial poet understanding that she would not be able to compete. An hour later she got the call that she could get in if she wanted. She wanted. After two days of competition she found herself third in the finals list of women who would compete on the finals stage. She won.

Her children Imani (22), Tia (21) and Zion (10) are her constant sources of energy and inspiration.

You can read more about Theresa at www.theresa-davis.com .