Email: danielrobertrivas@gmail.com

About Me

I grew up in rural Washington State in a yellow house in the middle of a field. I was a white kid with a Mexican heritage who worked summers in my dad’s tortilla factory, read whatever books I could get my hands on, played most sports, and spent a lot of Sunday afternoons with uncles, aunts, and cousins piling our plates with potato salad, meat, and tortillas.

I was also a kid who always had a lot of questions floating around in my head. What used to be where that mall is now? Why does my Mexican family make such a big deal out of the Fourth of July? Why doesn’t anyone talk to that aunt anymore? Over time, I learned that the answers to most of my questions were stories, that to really understand my world I needed to know the details.

We all want to be understood, but sometimes we can’t find the right words, or the story isn’t yet clear. All my life I’ve loved asking questions and telling stories. As a writer and communications professional, I use this passion to help purpose-driven organizations communicate their unique value and tell stories that set them apart.

quick facts

• Graduated with a B.A. from Willamette University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Michigan

• Taught writing at American University in Washington D.C.

• Formerly did communications work at AHA, Idealware, and City Club of Portland

• The best books I read in 2019: The Plot Against America, Manhattan Beach, Lincoln in the Bardo, Americanah, Sing Unburied Sing