Maven Gardner
2016/17 Youth Poet Laureate
Maven Gardner is Seattle’s 2016/17 Youth Poet Laureate. They have been writing for over ten years now, on their own and as a youth ambassador with the Pongo Teen Writing Program. They believe that the best types of creative writing are the kinds without barriers, that make you shift and sweat. Their community advocacy includes work with the Mockingbird Society and New Horizon Ministries, organizations that support youth experiencing homelessness through advocacy and working towards systemic change. They are the author of the poetry collection Blood Melody (2017), released by Penmanship Books.