SSF 2019 Featured Poet Esther McCant

Esther McCant is from Miami, Florida. Her family emigrated from Port-au-Prince, Haiti over 30 years ago. Her and her husband Donnell McCant have four rambunctious, naturally-birth boys, ages 8, 6, 4, and 2.

When she is not creating, “journaling”, or snapping pictures from her life, she lives her life’s dream of helping families thrive as a doula and certified lactation counselor.

“Doing birth work is an art because I am helping mothers have their babies in a way that is visually beautiful and emotionally empowering.” Says Esther

Sadly Esther and her family have been living under heart breaking circumstances due to a hit- and-run her parents suffered on December 12, 2018.

Using poetry, “journaling” and photography Esther takes us on her journey of how she manages her marriage, her children, her doula business and her ever-changing emotions surrounding losing the minds of the two most impactful people in her life. Through this powerful artistic journey we will be taken into her heart and feel how she has dealt with the pain of losing her parents brilliance, their presence and the ability to speak to them?

“The art form of spoken word has taking on a new meaning for me, I just want to hear them SPEAK AGAIN” Esther McCant

Learn more about Esther Doula Services www.metromommyagency.com

Deborah Magdalena

Whether she's hosting a spoken word event, music festival, or playing the role of a santera or vixen, Deborah Magdalena makes every emotion super real. This performance artist has acquired impressive TV & Film credits for the past twenty years including Sesame Street (CTW), Apollo Comedy Hour (Tribune Entertainment), Safe Harbor (Warner Brothers), Striptease (Castle Rock), Holyman (Caravan), and For Love or Country (HBO). As a published spoken word artist Deborah has released three CDs, a chapbook, and the spoken word musical FUNKdalena. As an artist-activist she’s the founder of Spoken Soul Festival, a twelve year old, three-day festival that helps women artists go from novice to professionals. As an educator Deborah for the past eight years has led in-school presentations in numerous high schools for the National YoungArts Foundation, is the co-founder of Piano Slam, and led various workshops for local art organizations like Miami Light Project and Institute of Contemporary Art Miami. Most recently and for the seventh year in a row, she was invited by the Arsht Center and Ailey Arts & Education Foundation to serve as the Creative Communication instructor for Ailey Camp Miami.