Danielle J. Clayton is a lover. Of God. Of family. Of The Bronx. Of words. Of writing. Of editing. Of New York. Of R&B. Of community. Of service. Of legacy. Of tradition. Of laughter.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a Concentration in Nonfiction from The New School’s Creative Writing Program. When she was 17, she came across the famous Toni Morrison quote, “If there is a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must be the one to write it.” As she read literature and looked into her life, she found an untapped well of stories like that of a father who is her spiritual leader and greatest inspiration and a family that passed down faith like an heirloom. She then realized the importance of telling her stories and the stories of her loved ones, people whose legacies need to be preserved on the page. Her work also explores themes of community, place, race and legacy.

Danielle credits her father as the reason she became a writer. Her work often explores their relationship, as well as the fabric of their family and the ways in which he has shaped her faith, worldview and understanding of herself. Her prose poem, “Don’t Blame It on the (Boogie Down) Bronx” can be found in BX Writers Anthology 2: Celebrating the Bronx.

She is a freelance writer, Editor-in-Chief and Board Member of UN-ASSOCIATED, a freelance editor in her own right with a passion for storytelling, education and service. As Jackie Robinson famously said, “a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”