Participant Biographies and Project Descriptions

Doris Keats
Doris started taking art lessons and writing poetry when she was seven years old in New Jersey.  After being accepted into the Rhode Island School of Design at age seventeen, she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and illustration, and then went on to take education courses at both Brown and Rutgers Universities.  Doris has since devoted her life to one of creating, expressing and teaching artistry visually, and through poetry.  In 1972, Doris published “Arizona Sketchbook with Verses” and has since used this book to teach her workshop “Finding the Poem Within” to all ages, from elementary children to Elder Hostel groups.  She has also traveled the country creating custom murals, sculptures, and decoupage for homes, restaurants and hotels. 

Having worked with troubled youth before, Doris feels particularly drawn towards the idea of working with children affected by domestic violence.  Doris states “Students hold emotions and creativity inside; creative writing is therapeutic as it unlocks feelings that need to be addressed- unexpressed resentments, anger, etc.”  She plans to teach two creative writing workshops a week to children age six to eighteen at the Community Resource Center’s domestic violence shelter in North County San Diego.  Rhyming and good penmanship are not necessary, Doris states, and those that are hesitant are invited to just sit and observe at first.  Doris finds that she can reach even the most withdrawn child, and feels especially gratified to see each child’s face as she presents them with a printed booklet at the end of each workshop session containing all of their poetry.