BIO
A woman of many names…Carole Boyce aka Eileen Carole aka Kidogo
Eileen Carole began writing poetry during her college days but developed her talent in earnest in 1995. At that time, she founded The Writer’s Corner, a local group of 40 poets who wrote, performed and self-published their own poetry anthologies. Under her direction, they wrote seven books, all of which she produced under her other hat – graphic designer. Eileen is also known as Kidogo, owner of Studio Kidogo Design. The Writer’s Corner anthologies produced were: History Pages, Tribute Pages: In Praise of Women/In Praise of Men, Pages From My Childhood, Love/Lust Pages, Kwanzaa Pages and Renaissance Pages.
When the group ended, after fifteen years, she continued to produce anthologies under the name, Pisces Publishing. She conceived: Peace Pages (a September 11th tribute), Yes, We Can, Yes, We Did (an Obama election tribute), Creative Juices (a poetic discourse on the writing process), Hair stories (a look at the cultural drama of Black women’s hair), Complexions: Celebrating African Americans and The Color of Blackness (Black History Month collection). Her solo works include: On A Musical Note (poems inspired by musicians, singers, performances and music genres), If Ever You Have Loved: Then You Know The Joy of Love/The Pain of Love, Ten for Fifty (poems inspired by the book/movie-Fifty Shades of Grey) and For You, a collection of poems dedicated to women. She is currently soliciting poems from a national base of poets for a poetic response to the issue of Reparations, expected to debut in February 2021. Eileen Carole designed an anthology for the Soul Visions Poets; Deep River Rhythms and is a guest poet in the collection.
Her performance entity is Blue Poems Productions and she has organized an annual program for National Women’s Month called Women Speak. Eileen Carole often speaks before organizations during Black History Month, Black Music Month and Diversity Month. She also has an erotic poetry show called Hotter than July and produced Pillow Talk with poet/chef, Richard Pannell. Along with poets Sharon Smith-Knight, Lewis Saunders and Alvin Grimes, in varying combinations, they performed Menage A Trois, FourPlay and Duets to sold out audiences. These shows explored finding love, losing love and rejoicing in love. Available for private home afternoon/evening poetry salons, club/org meetings and even custom poems for commemorated events, Eileen Carole is a versatile performance poet/author.
Carole (Wade Wharton) Boyce, known in the creative industry as Kidogo, operated Studio Kidogo Design in Los Angeles for 25 years before becoming an executive assistant and account executive for Tobin & Associates, Inc. Public Relations. She is co-founder and past president of the Black Creative Professionals Association. Kidogo has won the Distinguished Creative Professional Award from the Public Relations Advertising Marketing Excellence (PRAME) Awards and invitation design awards for her Le Grand Affaire invites for Sony Music/Congressional Black Caucus. She was art director for Black Meetings & Tourism magazine and created many corporate ID packages, invitations, brochures and program books for many Los Angeles businesses, local/national organizations and corporations.
Carole moved from Los Angeles to San Diego in 2006. She married in 2008 and often collaborates with her IT professional husband Paul, in ventures through BoyceDESIGN/TECHgroup. She credits both parents for her creativity. Her father was a noted watercolor and collage fine artist and her mother a screen writer, poet and retired English professor. She is a proud mother of one daughter.
Meeting Eileen Carole by Sharon Smith-Knight
While attending an Open Mic Poetry Reading, I heard a poem that touched me deeply. I did not know the poet but I was determined to meet her. I did not know the poet, but I was determined to meet her. I met Eileen Carole and exchanged contact information and I joined The Writer’s Corner, an organization that she founded over 15 years ago. It wasn’t just the quality of her poem that impressed me, it was her vocal variety. It was her soft spoken but well accented delivery. Eileen Carole’s style is not overwhelming. She gently but firmly expresses the metaphors and similes that give the reader an adequate understanding. The Writer’s Corner helped new and seasoned poets. Carole was the catalyst that helped members gain confidence and overcome the fear of sharing their poetry orally and expand their writing scope. Eileen Carole loves themes; so she would assign a monthly theme for each member to write about. Eileen Carole would create an anthology using the member’s poems that could be sold to family, friends, and the public. In addition to her talent, I have never known a poet that is more kind, patient or passionate than Eileen Carole. The bonus is that she has also woven her positive character traits into her poems, making her message easily understood. This makes Eileen Carole a prolific writer and a great spoken word artist.”
IN THE COMMUNITY: Poet and Publisher donate a number of books to the Sims Library of Poetry, Owner: Hiram Sims
