About David

 

David Rutiezer, the grandchild of Jewish immigrants, was born on May 2, 1968, in Skokie, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, and raised in Illinois and Massachusetts. The only child of a teacher mother and a computer programmer father, he spent his childhood writing poetry and puppet shows, singing his own songs, folk dancing, and entertaining the many elders in his family, including his grandparents, great-grandparents, and great aunt and uncle. David’s parents encouraged him from a young age to express his creativity, and to learn about the various ethnic cultures in the Chicago area.

David writes poetry and articles, is a trained actor, sings and plays keyboard and ukulele and performs a one-man musical variety show, has taught International folk dancing,and is available for writing, editing, and educational projects.  He holds a BA in Creative Writing and Theater Arts, and has a background in arts education, music therapy, and geriatric wellness. He enjoys working with people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. You can read more about David’s work by going to the mission page of this website.

David Rutiezer has an MFA from the Rainier Writing Workshop and TESL certification. He has also volunteered for several community organizations, including the Cascade Festival of African Films, Friends of William Stafford, and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, and has been active with Portland Community Dialogues. He has trained to offer creative writing prompts to folks with Alzheimer’s and dementia to access memories and use cognition, language, and intellectual skills. David lives in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area and is open and negotiable to the possibility of travel.