Please join us in celebrating the launch of the 2023/24 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate Mateo Acuña’s chapbook. Published by Poetry Northwest Editions, Dear Spanish, is the ninth edition of the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate series. Mateo Acuña will read from the collection alongside poets Aamina Mughal, Linus Elkins, Makeda “Mak” Moorman Leahemariam, and Quenton Baker. After the reading, copies of the chapbook will be available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public.
Mateo Acuña is a Peruvian-American poet, writer, and visual artist who splits his time between Auburn and Seattle, Washington. He is the 2023-2024 Seattle Youth Poet Laureate and the 2024-2026 Auburn Poet Laureate, a SPOKES intern at Youth Speaks, a member of the Washington Arts Youth Leadership Cohort, and a librettist in the Seattle Opera Creation Lab. His and composer Mina Pariseau’s opera, Blood Dawn of the Inti Sun, premiered at Tagney Jones Hall in 2024. He also sells jewelry made from repurposed and recycled materials.
Aamina Mughal is a teen editor at TeenTix, a bookseller, and a senior at Eastside Prep. Her previous work can be read in publications like Blue Marble Review, and as the Runner-Up for the Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize, her work is forthcoming in the Kenyon Review. She is a lover of Taylor Swift and her hometown.
Linus Elkins is a poetry and prose writer who thrives through the practice of creating and sharing art. Fascinated by all things joyful and strange, they strive to push boundaries and open discussion with their work, and hope to one day see their writing on a library shelf.
Makeda ‘Mak’ Moorman Leahemariam is the author behind @earthofmak, where her distinctive voice captures the essence of her debut poetry book, ‘Thank You For The Tragedy, I Need It for My Art.’ With a writing journey spanning over a decade, Mak has honed her craft through various short stories and essays. Her literary prowess shines through in her newest collection of poems, where she delves into the profound theme of healing in the aftermath of trauma. Mak’s writing is marked by its wry and introspective tone. It offers readers a window into her world, where emotions are raw yet beautifully articulated. Through her poetry, she navigates the complexities of human experience with an unflinching honesty that resonates deeply with her audience.
Quenton Baker is a poet, educator, and Cave Canem fellow. Their current focus is black interiority and the afterlife of slavery. Their work has appeared in The Offing, Jubilat, Vinyl, The Rumpus and elsewhere. They are a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and the recipient of the 2018 Arts Innovator Award from Artist Trust. They were a 2019 Robert Rauschenberg Artist in Residence and a 2021 NEA Fellow. They are the author of we pilot the blood (The 3rd Thing, 2021) and ballast (Haymarket Books, 2023).
About the Seattle Youth Poetry Fellowship (YPF):
The Youth Poetry Fellowship serves a cohort of young writers committed to poetry, performance, civic and community engagement, education, and equity across the Puget Sound region. Over the course of the school year, fellows meet regularly for workshops with the Youth Poetry Fellowship mentors. Fellows also have numerous public opportunities to share their voices, leadership, and love of Seattle throughout the course of the year. One of the fellows serves as the Youth Poet Laureate and writes a poetry collection published by Poetry NW Editions.