Donna Isaac

Donna Isaac received her B.A. in English from James Madison University; her M.A. in English from the University of Minnesota; and her M.F.A. in writing from Hamline University. Her capstone writing thesis Sustenance received Outstanding Poetry Thesis for 2007. She taught full-time English and writing for 40 years, retiring from Saint Thomas Academy after establishing their writing lab and advising for the literary magazine, Cadence. In 2016, the school established a yearly Donna Isaac Creative Writing Award to honor her legacy. Published work includes two poetry chapbooks: Tommy (Red Dragonfly Press) and Holy Comforter (Red Bird Chapbooks); a book of poetry Footfalls (Pocahontas Press), a paean to her Appalachian upbringing and to American folk music; and Persistence of Vision (Finishing Line Press). Currently she is on the Board for Cracked Walnut and is a member of the League of Minnesota Poets; she helped establish Literary Bridges, a diverse reading series at Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul. She continues to work as a teaching artist and host for various readings across the Twin Cities. You can read more on her website: donnaisaacpoet.com.