how to use this Press Kit
The "For Print" Bios should be used on websites, flyers, programs, etc.
The "Read-Aloud" Bios are formatted for your convenience when you are reading Theresa's bio out-loud for a live event, webinar, podcast, etc.
** Please DO NOT Publish the Read-Aloud Versions **
Official Simon & Schuster assets for WHO I ALWAYS WAS can be found on their website, here
Theresa Okokon is an award winning writer, storyteller, and teacher. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is the co-host of Stories From The Stage, who—in addition to writing and performing her own stories—also teaches storytelling and writing, coaches other tellers, hosts storytelling events, and collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events. An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet, Theresa's memoir in essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father -- titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS -- was published by Atria Books at Simon & Schuster in 2025.
Theresa's writing (and bathroom selfies!) have appeared in midnight & indigo, ELLE, the Independent, WBUR's Cognoscenti, and Boston.com. Her essay Me Llamo Theresa, published by Hippocampus Magazine, was named among the Top Essays of the Week by Longreads and The Rumpus, and later nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize.
Theresa Instagrams gorgeous cocktails, food porn, and pics about Blackness, fatness & her very cute senior dog at @ohh.jeezzz. She believes very seriously in capitalizing the B in Black and the W in White, and you can read more about that here, with Kwame Anthony Appiah.
Theresa Okokon (pronounced oh-COH-kin) is:
-
an award winning writer,
-
storyteller
-
and teacher.
A Wisconsinite living in New England, Theresa is:
-
the co-host of GBH and WORLDchannel's Stories From The Stage.
Who—in addition to writing and performing her own stories—also:
-
teaches storytelling and writing,
-
coaches other tellers, hosts storytelling events, and
-
collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events.
An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet:
Theresa's memoir in essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father -- titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS -- was published by Atria Books at Simon & Schuster in 2025.
Theresa's essays (and bathroom selfies!) have appeared in:
-
midnight & indigo,
-
ELLE,
-
the Independent,
-
WBUR's Cognoscenti, and
-
Boston.com.
Her essay Me Llamo (pronounced yah-moh) Theresa, published by Hippocampus Magazine:
-
was named among the Top Essays of the Week by Longreads and The Rumpus,
-
and later nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize.
Theresa Instagrams gorgeous cocktails, food porn, and pics about Blackness, fatness & her very cute senior dog at @ohh.jeezzz (pronounced oh-jeez) -- thats O, two Hs --dot-- J, two Es, and three Zs -- or you can just search for her name on IG, that's probably easier!
Theresa Okokon is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and teacher. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is the co-host of Stories From The Stage who—in addition to writing and performing her own stories—also teaches storytelling and writing, coaches other tellers, hosts storytelling events, collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events. An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet, Theresa's memoir of essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father -- titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS -- was published by Atria Books at Simon & Schuster in 2025.
Theresa Okokon (pronounced oh-COH-kin) is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and teacher. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is:
-
the co-host of GBH & WORLDchannel's Stories From The Stage.
Who—in addition to writing and performing her own stories—also:
-
teaches storytelling and writing,
-
coaches other tellers,
-
hosts storytelling events, and
-
collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events.
An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet:
Theresa's memoir of essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father -- titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS -- was published by Atria Books at Simon & Schuster in 2025.
To access a photo, click on the image. You will be taken to a JPG of the image in a link-access Google Drive folder. You may then download & save the image to your device.
Please DO NOT alter any of the images without Theresa Okokon's specific and explicit permission.
All images belong to and are provided courtesy of Theresa Okokon.
** if you require a HighRes image, please ask Theresa directly -- thank you! **
