Amalia Ortiz is the San Antonio actor/director/activist/Puro Slam grand slam champion 2000, 2001 and 2002. A cast member of the touring company featuring the poets of Def Poetry, Amalia performed at the SXSW Music Conference in 2000 and 2001. She also founded, co-wrote, directed, and appeared in the 2-hour all-female poetry/theatre piece Women of Ill Repute: Refute! and has presented at the Young Tongues Theatre Festival, the San Antonio Inter-American Book Fair, Latina Letters Conference, Austin Poetry Festival, Austin Book Festival, and Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. After participating in the Slam America National Bus Tour, Amalia represented San Antonio at the 2000 National Poetry Slam as the first Latina to compete. After starring in the independent film, Speeder Kills, Amalia completed a seven state spoken word tour. Featured on the CD Raza Spoken Here III by Calaca Press, one of her poems is also featured in the upcoming Slam America Tour documentary film.