Yolanda Nieves, born and raised in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, is an award-winning poet, playwright, director, educator,
actress, and founder of The Vida Bella Ensemble. Author of two highly acclaimed poetry books, Dove over Clouds and The Spoken Body (Plainview Press), Dr. Nieves’s research and poetry has been featured in Hunter College’s prestigious El Centro Journal for Puerto Rican Studies, DePaul University’s Diálogo Center for Latino Research Journal, the San Francisco- based New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education Journal, and the Journal of Vocational Education and Technology.