Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as Portland, ME's seventh poet laureate for a July 2021 to July 2024 term. Maya has published essays in venues such as The Daily Beast, Black Girl Nerds, The Rumpus, LGBTQ Nation, Honey Literary, Full Stop Mag, and more. Eir poetry has received nominations for the New England Book Award and the Maine Literary Award. Their poetry has won Garden Party Collective's chapbook prize. You can follow more of eir work at mayawilliamspoet.com
If I had a dollar for every word I have written about BIPOC representation in entertainment media, I still wouldn’t have enough to pay back my student loans and car loans.