Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is an internationally-known, writer, director, performer, critic and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, Texas. She is the author of the 2019 poetry collection Newsworthy, which was a finalist for the The Writer’s League of Texas Book Award and Honorable Mention in the Summerlee Book Prize. Her poems have garnered her a Pushcart nomination and have been translated into multiple languages. She has been a contributing writer for Glamour, Texas Monthly, Muzzle, and ESPN’s Andscape. Her work ranges from writing stage plays and librettos for operas such as Marian’s Song to storytelling through film. She currently resides in Houston, Texas.