Poetry. African American Studies. "[Zora Howard's] youth inspires hope and her writing inspires those of us aging warriors who have tried to mend so many things in life that have cracked. Reward yourself and let Zora into your life"—Harry Belafonte. "Zora Howard is a poet beyond her years. Her work exudes the detail that comes with decades of practice, the honesty and bravery that many poets never achieve. Her impact on youth poetry in New York City and nationally started when she was a rising freshman at age 13, and is still profound as she enters her first year at Yale. For me, the joy of watching her grow was not in the numerous accolades she has won, but in the evolution of Zora the artist, activist, and scholar. CLUTCH is a monument that details it all"—Michael Cirelli.

Author City: NEW YORK, NY USA

Zora Howard is a Harlem-raised writer, spoken word artist, actress, and activist. She is a member of the 2006 Urban Word Slam Team, which placed second at the Brave New Voices Youth National Slam. She is the 2008 first place winner of the New York Knicks Poetry Slam. She has performed at such venues in New York City as The Apollo Theatre, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Bowery Poetry Club and numerous others throughout the tri state area. Her performance work has allowed her to travel to cities across the nation and to the countries of Germany and Brazil. Her collaboration with filmmaker Lisa Russell on the short film "Biracial Hair," based on Zora's original poem of the same title, won an Emmy for Outstanding Advanced Media Interactivity. Her work has also been showcased on HBO, PBS, and NBC. In 2009, she was a part of the poetry reading series "Our Greatest Living Writers" held at the Nuyorican Poet's Café. In 2009, she was named the first ever NYC Youth Poet Laureate, a title that she will hold for one year.