Rosa del Duca

Rosa del Duca is a writer, journalist, teacher and musician. She grew up in rural Montana, where she joined the Army National Guard at seventeen. During her time in uniform she became a conscientious objector.  That tumultuous time is the focus of her award-winning memoir, Breaking Cadence: One Woman's War Against the War.

Rosa earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary's College of California. Her shorter creative work has been published in CALYX, River Teeth, Cutbank, Grain, the Los Angeles Review, and other literary magazines. When she’s not writing creatively, Rosa is teaching or working as a freelance journalist. She has taught composition at San Jose State University and journalism at Cal State East Bay and Diablo Valley College. She has written for local television newscasts for 17 years and freelanced for companies like Rodan + Fields, Eko Devices and Pucci Foods.

Rosa's side passion is music. She founded the band Hunters with Will Decher in 2011, putting out three albums: White Lies, Treeline and We All Go Up the Mountain Alone Together. Her solo album is Love Letters

 Rosa lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her writer, professor, and craftsman husband, Nicholas Leither, and their two young children. In 2023 the family started a podcast for kids called Three Detail Stories. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hire you for freelance writing projects?     You bet! Contact me by email for rates and content samples.

Is Rosa interested in performing music at your winery, coffee shop, bar, farmer's market or other venue?   Heck yes.

Is Rosa interested in reading at your bookstore, book club, library, or other venue? Is she interested in being a Truth in Recruitment speaker or Creative Writing speaker?   Absolutely.

What are Rosa's rates/fees/stipulations for appearing?   I am happy to read for free. For rates on booking me as a speaker or musician, email me. It all depends on your budget, and what the logistics are.  

Reach Rosa at breakingcadence[at]gmail[dot]com

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