Originally from San Francisco, Tongo Eisen-Martin (he/him) is a poet, movement worker, and educator. His latest curriculum on extrajudicial killing of Black people, We Charge Genocide Again, has been used as an educational and organizing tool throughout the country. His book titled, "Someone's Dead Already" was nominated for a California Bookstore Award. His book "Heaven Is All Goodbyes" was published by the City Lights Pocket Poets series, was shortlisted for the Griffins Poetry Prize and won a California Book Award and an American Book Award. His latest book “Blood On The Fog” was released this fall in the City Lights Pocket Poets series and named one of the New York Times poetry books of the year. In 2020, he co-founded Black Freighter Press to publish revolutionary works. He is San Francisco’s eighth poet laureate.
Micaela Merryman is a published Native and African-American poet from Flagstaff, Arizona. She is a book festival board member, founder of Sonder Zine, and host to the Off the Rails reading series.
Micaela will serve as Flagstaff's inaugural Youth Poet Laureate (23).