Welcome To Ghetto Heaven...

Doreen Ambrose-Van Lee is a Chicago-based poet and author who grew up in the city's Cabrini-Green public housing project. 

Early life and education: 

• Born: 1969 in Chicago, Illinois.
• Upbringing: Raised in Cabrini-Green by her mother, Rosetta Ambrose Scott, a substitute teacher. Her father was a factory worker.
• Family: She grew up with four siblings.
• Education: She earned a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE).
• Military service: Served for three years in the Armed Forces. 

Career and writing

• Works: Ambrose-Van Lee's poetry and short stories have been published in various magazines and newspapers across the U.S.
• Raised in Da Sun: This poetry book chronicles her life, from her childhood in Cabrini-Green to being a single parent.
• Life After Cooley High & Good Times: I Ain't Gonna Rhyme: This book was published in 2011.
• Damn, Candy Man He Ain't All That I Lived Beneath The Candy Lady For Years! 2018.
• Group membership: She is a founding member of the North Austin Public Library Poetry Group in Chicago.
• Themes: Her writing often addresses self-love, acceptance, and overcoming adversity. 

Personal life 

• She is the mother of three children.
• Her writing reflects her experience as a single parent.