Amaker, Marcus: - Marcus Amaker is a husband, a dad, a son, a music nerd, and a Star Wars obsessive. He served as the first Poet Laureate of Charleston, SC from 2016-2022. In 2021, he became an Academy of American Poets fellow. Hold What Makes You Whole is his tenth book. He's also a powerful performer, the award-winning graphic designer of a national roots music journal (No Depression), an electronic musician, an opera librettist, the creator of a poetry festival, a teaching artist, and an advocate for youth poets. His poetry has been recognized by The Washington Post, The Kennedy Center, American Poets Magazine, The Washington National Opera, The Portland Opera, Button Poetry, NPR, The Chicago Tribune, Edutopia, Town & Country, PBS Newshour, SC Public Radio, Charleston Magazine, Charleston City Paper, North Dakota Quarterly, Post and Courier, and more. In 2019, he won a Governor's Arts award in South Carolina and was named the artist-in-residence of the Gaillard Center, a world-renowned performance and education venue. His poetry has been studied in classrooms around the country and has been interpreted for ballet, jazz, modern dance, opera, and theater. Marcus has recorded three albums with GRAMMY(R) Award-winning drummer and producer Quentin E. Baxter. He also created a publishing company, Free Verse Press, to release poetry books from authors in his community. He lives in North Charleston with his wife, their daughter, and a cat named after Wu-Tang Clan.