DAKOTA R. GARILLI

WRITER • EDITOR • EDUCATOR

ABOUT ME

I wrote my first story when I was six years old, sitting on my grandmother's couch with a pile of scrap paper and a box of crayons, about a cake that was sad that no one would eat it. My current work? Basically the same.

In the 20 years since then, I've gotten my MFA in creative writing; and taught kids, college students, and incarcerated adults. Two decades have taught me that we all have a story to tell.

Get in Touch

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

EDITOR - IDK MAGAZINE

SINCE AUGUST 2013

Three years' experience as a managing, poetry, and nonfiction editor for a digital literary journal focused on publishing emerging and Millennial writers—responsibilities include consulting with writers, proofreading, event planning and promotion, and deep editing

Check us out

BOOK REVIEWER

SINCE NOVEMBER 2013

Primarily for Autumn House Press's online imprint, Coal Hill Review—highlighting recently published poetry chapbooks and collections

Browse my portfolio

WRITING INSTRUCTOR - WORDS WITHOUT WALLS

SINCE OCTOBER 2014

Experience teaching beginner- and intermediate-level creative writing courses in alternative spaces, including the Allegheny County Jail and Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, with a focus on empowering students through self-discovery

Learn more

FREELANCE WRITER & CONSULTANT

SINCE OCTOBER 2016

Experience with training development and organizational content in the nonprofit and education sectors, including manuals, e-learning courses, and educational aids

View a project

HEINZ FELLOW - CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION

SINCE JULY 2017

Engaging in transformative, social justice-oriented educational practices and youth-centered action research at a middle school in Pittsburgh's Hill District. Seeking to mentor, tutor, and engage students in goal setting and self-exploration during a yearlong placement. Made possible through the Heinz Endowments and the University of Pittsburgh.

Visit the Center