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Executive Director Heather Davis came to The Telling Room from Austin, TX, where she co-founded a youth writing center called Austin Bat Cave and served as the senior grant writer for a nonprofit, arts education organization. Heather holds a BA from St. John's College, and an MA from Goddard College, where she designed an individualized program that combined coursework on youth development, arts education, and creative writing with her experiences as a writing teacher in Harlem.
Heather Reads with a Student at Common Ground Fair
John Holdridge has his dream job as the Creative Director of the Telling Room. Significant experiences prior to this position include many years as a performer, teaching artist, professional development facilitator and university instructor working in the field of creative literacy development. John learned to teach when he was the Resident Teaching Artist at the ArtsLiteracy Project at Brown University in Providence, RI and he holds an MS Ed. from the University of Southern Maine. He lives on Peaks Island with his wife and two sons.
John teaches a Build-a-book workshop
Program Director Molly McGrath is a writer and editor, and she integrates the techniques of both trades when teaching our students, and in the past at Waynflete School in Portland where she was also a college counselor, and at schools in Boston and Cambridge. Pink Eraser, an editorial consulting venture, keeps Molly busy, too. Molly has an MFA in creative nonfiction, and lives in Brunswick, with her husband and two young sons.
Molly with Donna LaNigra, 2008 Intern, during an Outdoor Workshop
Andrew Griswold is The Telling Room's Communications Coordinator. He has taught and mentored middle and high school students in Maine, California, and Washington, DC, since graduating from Davidson College. He holds an MA from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. Andrew is an avid music fan and critic, and a weekend regular at Sugarloaf. He lives in Portland with his wife, his young son, and their labradoodle, Hazel.
Andrew talks shop at a collage-making workshop
Patricia Hagge is The Telling Room’s den mother, and Lead Teacher for our workshops and special projects. She earned an MFA from USM’s Stonecoast program and put it right to work at The Telling Room in 2006. Since then, she has done everything from paint tables, to edit stories, to move a telephone wire spool out of boat for The Telling Room, but her favorite thing to do is help a student find their story they have to tell. Much to our benefit, Patty was also a social worker for many years.
Patty Watches the Kids Perform
Volunteer and Program Assistant Molly Haley is a native of Brunswick, Maine. She's a graduate of the University of Maine - Orono where she received her Bachelor's in Spanish. She moved to Portland to study radio storytelling at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Molly has taught theater to kids here in Maine, and has worked with orphans and the elderly in Honduras. She loves to travel, meet people and hear their stories. Molly is very excited to be part of The Telling Room family.
Molly and Portland High student Fadumo Issack
Emily Baer is a writer and artist from Brunswick Maine. She graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in English and Studio Art and is excited to join The Telling Room as the VISTA Development Assistant. Emily has a background in teaching and a passion for community building through the arts. She believes in the power of words, the transformative nature of stories and – above all else – the importance of play.
Emily works with an eager young author
Oren Stevens is a teaching carpenter, crisscrossing the skills and demands from the two crafts of writing and woodworking--accuracy, patience, and faith in the outcome. Starting at The Telling Room as a volunteer in 2008, he has taught all over Portland at all grade levels, in all scenarios. Oren holds an MFA from University of Southern Maine Stonecoast in Creative Non-fiction and completed his undergrad in English at the University of Iowa. As coordinator for the Young Writers & Leaders program, Oren is building space and relationships where young people can feel safe enough and inspired to express their truest selves through art. Always looking for a new challenge, you are likely to find Oren involved in some song and dance here in Portland.
Jennifer Quartararo is a freelance writer from Maine. She received her BA in English Communications from Emmanuel College in Boston and went on to earn a certificate in non-fiction writing and editing from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies here in Portland, ME. She's spent her time since writing about bands, shows and city council meetings. After returning from a brief Brooklyn stint, she began volunteering with the Telling Room this past spring and worked with an ELL middle-schooler to help write the epic tale, "A Day on the Black River Safari". She's thrilled to join the TR team as an intern for the upcoming school year.
Jenna works with a student at Memorial Middle School
Vanessa Romanoff is from Portland, Maine. She earned a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire and she has been working with young people for ten years through various theater, writing, and social health education programs in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. She recently co-coordinated Add Verb Productions’ Out & Allied Anthology, featuring youth-written monologues, short plays and poems. She is also an enthusiastic member of Portland’s theater community.
Vanessa reads to an eager audience
