Words on the Avenue’s founder, Teré Fowler-Chapman is a gender fluid writer, activist, and playwright—by way of Sonoran desert | by way of Boot’s Bayou. This poet was the first African American executive director of the Tucson Poetry Festival. This poet thinks that being the first is uncool. They took over their grandfather’s legacy and published their first chapbook, Bread &, released by Hope Etcetera Press in Spring 2017. They are a National Arts Strategies’ Creative Community fellow, and a Bettering American Poetry 2016 nominee. They are an educator, a spouse, and a family man. You can find Teré or their work forthcoming or published/performed in/at: Centennial Hall, Thinking Its Presence Conference, TENWEST Festival, March on Washington Film Festival — The Smithsonian National Arts Museum, University of Arizona’s VOCA, University of Houston-Victoria’s Downtown Art Series, TEDxTucson, Tucson Weekly, Feminist Wire, Arizona Public Media’s PBS & NPR, KXCI National Radio Station, Literary Orphans & more. When Teré grows up they want children with their wife’s smile, pronouns to no longer exist, a tiny house with a lot of land, and time to go to soccer games on Saturdays.