Airea Dee Matthews
Spoken Word Poet
“There's a great weight that's there when you are not doing what you should actually be doing-some form of satisfaction that's not met by not committing to it.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAirea Dee Matthews
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
Initially thought she wanted to be a psychiatrist because she liked to "read" people.
Realized she didn't like the science of psychiatry at all, but still loved studying human nature.
Grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father, but her mother was too afraid to leave him.
Went to college and grad school for economics / public administration after her mom advised her to find a sensible career.
Spent eight years in corporate America but knew she wasn't doing what she was meant to be doing.
Thought she'd write and perform poetry on the side, loved it but considered it a hobby.
Performed for the first time at a coffee shop, got positive feedback, realized her writing could captivate others.
Was always fascinated by language "as a symbol," loved how putting words together made them meaningful.
Education
High School
Career
Spoken Word Poet
Writer*Performer. Totally in love with poems. Obsessed with containers, memory, history, mythology, and thought.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Acting & Theatre
Writing
Communicating / Sharing Stories
Hurdles
Challenges I Overcame
Drugs / Addiction
Interviewed By
Rounding the Bend
The road-trippers interview writer Beverly Donofrio at her home in Long Island before they head on to Detroit, where they talk to spoken word poet Airea Dee Matthews about possibility and growth in an unlikely place. In Chicago, Tele'jon reconsiders his reservations about going back to school when the team interviews Professor David Stovall.
