Born the daughter of itinerant Christian ministers, Dawn Saylor grew up under revival tents in Pennsylvania. One of the original spoken words poets to appear on HBO's Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry, her powerful work has been described as "cutting like a broken bottle with the soul of a butterfly." Saylor is an eloquent spokesperson for the human heart in all its fragile beauty and resilience. She has captained three poetry slam teams (from Kalamazoo, MI) all the way to the National Poetry Slam championships and is a master of the "group piece," or multi-voiced poem. Taking cues from Janis Joplin, Sandra Cisneros, and Liesel Mueller, she weaves the vivid patterns of her tremendous mythology into pure magic. While pursuing a degree in education from Goddard College's low-residency program, Dawn also helps manage the Bowery Poetry Club, New York City's only club devoted entirely to poetry and spoken word.