The Creator
Melissa Emalia Medina
was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in Spanish Harlem during the 1970s and 80s. She received a National Writer’s Award at the age of 7 and has been a lover of the written word since she could write.
Aware that there were no books that she could culturally relate to as a child, Emalia decided to write her own version of animal domestication in the backdrop of her beloved Island; Boriken, and her cherished ancestry of the Taino people. How wildcats and wolves became cats and dogs is a children’s book written in poetic form. The main character, Sani (The Old One) takes the reader on a poetic adventure that leads to life-long friendships.
Emalia has performed some of her poetic pieces at the Nuyorican Poets Café and The National Black Theater. She is described as a low-key poet with a lot of real-life personal experiences to share. Her words tend to hit deep, sometimes painful but always honest.
“I would leave letters around the house as a child expressing my feelings each time I was angered or hurt. My timid voice never felt heard. But when my words hit paper, I roared.” `Emalia
“I thank you for trusting the space.”