Dorotea Mendoza

Writer, community organizer, and zen practitioner Dorotea Mendoza first studied with Natalie Goldberg in 2001 and has served as Natalie’s teaching assistant since 2010.  Dorotea mostly writes fiction, and loves the flash form.  Her flash fiction has appeared in Shanghai Literary Review, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, Contrary Magazine, Literary Orphan, Cecile’s Writers Magazine, Ginger Magazine, Podium Literary Journal, among others. Her co-authored play (with Carolyn, one of her fellow readers here), Export Quality: Monologues Drawn from True Stories of Mail-Order Brides from the Philippines, is slated to premier in NYC in Fall 2021.  Dorotea is most proud of her past work, as both editor and journalist, at community papers and grassroots platforms, such as Special Edition Press, Kawomenan International Women’s Quarterly, and WBAI/Pacifica public radio.  Among her latest is a short essay in Lion’s Roar about social justice and Engaged Buddhism.  Dorotea was born in the Philippines and grew up in New York City’s East Village.  She now lives in Brooklyn with her partner Matthew and 45 house plants.  You can find her at www.doroteamendoza.com.