Roxan McDonald

Roxan McDonald is a writer, teacher, workshop facilitator, coach, and public speaker. She holds an Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Pacific University and a Bachelors of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from California Institute of Integral Studies. (She still doesn’t quite understand what “integral” means so please don’t ask.) Roxan currently leads writing and personal development retreats online and retreat centers such as 1440 Multiversity and Esalen Institute.

Roxan is the author of the inspirational decks Spiritual AF and Grateful AF published by Knock Knock Inc. Her short stories, memoir excerpts, and poetry have been published in The Porter Gulch Review, and The Journal of Radical Wonder.

Roxan got sober when she was fifteen years old and currently has 33 years of recovery. She was in the inaugural class of the world’s first and longest running clean and sober high school. After graduating, Roxan went on to become the director of the school. She spent fourteen years working on the front lines of addiction and trauma recovery.

Roxan has practiced meditation since 1990. She’s traveled to twenty countries on four continents and speaks Spanish moderately well. She can curse in Greek and can balance four plates of moussaka while she does it.

In 2003 Roxan placed third in the National Jitterbug Championships, which is the happiest dance ever. In that competition she was ranked highest on the expression of joy. She’s pretty proud of that.

Awards and Accolades

May Lonnberg Smith Award in Poetry

Eshleman Scholarship, Community of Writers at Squaw Valley

Honorable Mention in Nonfiction, San Miguel de Allende Writers’ Conference Writing Contest