Youth Poet Laureate Library
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth is proud to partner with Dewmore Baltimore and the Baltimore Youth Poet Laureate Competition to publish a book for each YPL winner.
Your purchase of Books from the Youth Poet Laureate Library supports the poet, as well as contributes to the YPL program.
THE SPACE BETWEEN:
THE Hurting the healing the loving
by A’niya taylor
A’niya Taylor age 20 is the two-time and current (2022-23) Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore and a 2021 graduate of Baltimore City College, and the 2021 and 2023 captain of the Baltimore City Youth Poetry Team. She won 1st place in the 2021 Brave New Voices individual poetry slam and was nominated for Marylander of the year in 2020 for her work in activism. As well as served as a Youth Poet Ambassador in 2020 and 2021. Taylor has been featured in publications such as The Baltimore Sun where she was recognized for her gifts and ability to share them with others.
In The Space Between: The Hurting The Healing The Loving, A’niya reflects on her life as she’s crawled through graveyards to sit in the light in the garden. In three parts she shows you what it’s like to get to the other side of depression and how it’s not always a linear path.
CHASING Destinaetions
By destinae breann
“If the book had a tagline I might say poems on race, class, identity, black girl magic, and growing up in Baltimore”
-Poet and Mentor Slangston Hughes.
Dedicated to the journey of finding oneself, Chasing Destinaetions reveals Destinae BreAnn’s path to understanding her identity as a young African American woman in Baltimore. Written in a series of unique poems, this book covers topics such as battling self-doubt to vocalizing civil rights issues.
ALL MY POEMS SAD AS FUCK
by Deleicea Greene (Obsidian)
Deleicea Greene is an inspiring youth poet who is also known as Obsidian as her performance name. She has been writing poetry for over seven years and has been Slamming for five years. She has been published in anthologies from Maryland Institute College of Art and other poetry books. Deleicea is Baltimore’s 2019 Youth Poet Laureate. She loves writing and performing and sharing her story with as many people as possible. You can find Deleicea on Instagram @obsidian.poetry.
All My Poems Sad As Fuck is a collection of sad poems. While reading, Deleicea encourages you to write whatever comes to your mind in the journal pages included throughout. The book is both a space for you to break down and build yourself back up. The book explores topics on being Black in America, poems that reflect her perspective during that time period, and her thoughts on life. This book is an open field for self exploration via her personal experiences.
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Sexual Assualt, Racism, Self-Harm.