Poetry, My First Language

Rita Fidler Dorn (Ricki) Native New Yorker who grew up in Ohio; longtime South Florida resident; visible figure on the Miami academic and creative scenes. Past president of South Florida Writers Association. Creator/presenter of 3 writing lec-shops: How to Kick Start Your Own Creativity; Forgiveness; and Grief: Writing Your Way Through the Process. BS from Ohio State University; MA in English from FloridaInternational University; her masters thesis examines psychological influences of dysfunctional parents on adult children, specifically sibling groups, in three Woody Allen films. English professor at Miami Dade College and FIU. Creator of a myriad of academic and creative materials, word games, and of course, poetry. Scrabble addict, grammar guru, former newspaper reporter. Poet from age 7. Owner of English Specialist, her word-crafting/editing practice. Editing other peoples work, Dorn says, is giving it a semantic makeover. She harbors a deep personal love of and respect for the beauty and power of written words. Candle in my Dark, a poetic tribute to her mother, Beatrice Greenberg Fidler, appeared in the 2012 edition of Healthy Stories, published by the Miami Dade Health Department.The Givens, another poem, was the winner of a SFWA writing contest in 2012. Dorn credits South Florida Writers Association with being a significant networking and inspiration oasis for South Florida writers, at all levels and of all genres. Currently, she is working on two other books. One is Wisdom & Wit, a compendium of short essays, literary spinoffs, word play, and tributes to public, political, and literary figures. Why Monica Loves Chanukah is a childrens book, in rhyme, to give young audiences an appreciation of poetic sounds and of the rich tradition of this holiday.