Ravina Wadhwani + Danielle Mitchell Feature in June

2024 FEATURESPRESS RELEASE

Jun 28

RAVINA is a South Asian American bestselling author, spoken word poet & licensed therapist based in Long Beach, CA. RAVINA was born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands. YELLOW is her debut full-length collection of poetry and prose published by World Stage Press & recipient of the Long Beach Best Poetry Collection of 2021.

RAVINA has performed poetry on nationally and internationally acclaimed stages including the House of Blues & the United Nations. Ravina is a touring and performing spoken word artist with the collective Never Speak Long Beach. RAVINA’s work as a poet has been featured in Yahoo Finance, the Sentinel news paper Los Angeles, Voyage LA, SHOUTOUT Atlanta, Rooted Minds, and Livewire’s literary journal at Fullerton College. Ravina is a Pushcart prize nominee & the first artist from the Virgin Islands to be pictured on a billboard for Clubhouse’s the Love Bomb Room’s one- year anniversary event in North Hollywood.

Ravina has taught poetry publishing through the University of Southern CA & Community Literature Initiative. In 2022, RAVINA founded the “Writing as Healing” workshop & mic, with the aim of shedding light on the intersection of creative writing and mental health, centering communities that have faced oppression, violence, and systemic issues. With a reach of over 300+ attendees, Ravina continues to host and curate this space on a bimonthly basis in Los Angeles.

Danielle Mitchell (she/her) is an intersectional feminist, writer, and teaching artist. Her Aries sun wants to you know she’s a 2023 California Creative Corps artist grantee, selected by the Long Beach Arts Council. As a Gemini rising she is proud to be the Founding Director of The Poetry Lab where she is committed to nurturing creative writers as they craft their learning journeys. Her moon in Sagittarius had a hand in developing Brick Box Paradox, her annual course all about prose poetry. In 2017, her prose poetry chapbook Makes the Daughter-in-Law Cry won the Clockwise Prize. The collection was praised by Gail Wronsky for "revealing new worlds of wonder and absurdity with a dark brilliance that is entirely her own." Danielle's work has been published in literary journals like Hayden’s Ferry Review, Vinyl, Four Way Review, Connotation Press, and others. She loves helping writers tap into their craft with radical self-compassion. Her Fifth House Virgo can help you take the first step on your revision journey with the Guide to Craft-Focused Feedback. Get the guide at thepoetrylab.com/guide.