From an early age, Amontaine was aware of the need to express herself and has made artistic expression a lifelong passion. She loves music, dance, theater and books, and has been greatly influenced by the works of authors James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Doestoevsky, and Octavia Butler. She makes her home in Pioneer Square in Seattle, Washington.

Resume

Education

2003   BA in writing, Antioch University, Seattle
2002   Essence Magazine Editorial Internship, New York, NY
1997   Spoleto Writer's Conference, Spoleto, Italy
1995   Squaw Valley Writer's Conference, Squaw Valley, California
1993   University of Washington, Writer's Program in Fiction, Seattle

Performances (select)

12 Minutes Max, Excerpt: Queen Rita's Blues Alley, On The Boards Theater, 2008
Original One Woman show, My Name is Trazar, Thelma DeWitty Theater at the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 2007
It's All About Dance. Benefit for Ewajo Dance Studio, Broadway Performance Hall, 2007
Arts Launch, work-in-progress, Trazar, Tashiro Kaplan Artists Lofts, 2007
Original One Woman Show - Waiting for Billie Holiday, Richard Hugo House, 2006
Joanne Little (lead), Joanne! - University of Washington Ethnic Cultural Theater, 1983
Ruthie, Black Girl - Black Arts West Theater, 1981
Lucretia (lead), The First Breeze of Summer - Black Arts West Theater, 1981
Evie, No Place to be Somebody - Black Arts West Theater, 1980
Sissy, The Latchkey Children - Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center, 1980

Readings and Presentations

2008   Celebrating the history of Black Seattle, Black Heritage Society Readers' Theater, Museum of History and Industry
2007   365 Days of Plays. Reading of works by Suzan-Lori Parks, Central Library, Seattle
2004   Book launch. Reading of essay, "The Gift of Breath" HueMan Bookstore, Harlem, NY
2002   Evidence of Compassion: A Reading of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Poetry and Literature, Elliott Bay Bookstore, Seattle
2000   Original paper on African American folktales presented at Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia

Special Awards

1992   Inspirational Productions, national acting competition, Best Actress and Best Scene awards, Los Angeles, California
1993   Seattle Arts Commission - grant, short story writing
1995   King County Arts Commission - grant, the novel-in-progress
1998   Seattle Arts Commission - grant, the novel-in-progress
 

Published Works

CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women - Summer 2005 - Book Review, "My Jim"
CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women - Winter 2005 - Essay, "Free Angela"
CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women - Winter 2005 - Book Review, "Horse Thief"
Essay, "The Gift of Breath" - Sometimes Rhythm, Sometimes Blues: Young African Americans on Love, Relationships, Sex and the Search for Mr. Right, Seal Press, January 2004
Colors NW Magazine - Seattle, WA March 2003 - "Urban Enterprise Center"
Colors NW Magazine - Seattle, WA, December 2002 - "Black Nativity"
Colors NW Magazine - Seattle, WA, October 2002 - "Si se puede! El Centro de la Raza's 30 Years of Community Service"
NSpirit Magazine - Seattle, WA, February, March, April, May, June 2002 - various articles
The Raven Chronicles Literary Journal - Seattle, WA, 2002 - "Letter to Myself"
Midwest Express Magazine - Seattle, WA, March 2002 - "Perspectives from Female Photographers"
Horizon Air Magazine - Seattle, WA, January and February 2002 - various articles
Alaska Airlines Magazine - Seattle, WA, December 2001, January and February 2002 - various articles
Essence Magazine - New York, New York, October 2001 - "Graffiti"
"The Power of the Word" - Essay on the writer's responsibility to society. Internet - 2001
Aim Magazine � Chicago, Illinois, Winter 1999 � �Interview with Sandria Woods-Pollard�