Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo is an American poet who was born and raised in Harlem, New York City. Born to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, her work often reflects the experience of young, Afro-Latino individuals. She also writes about her own experiences not only as a mixed-race individual, but also as a young adult and woman.
Biography of a Poet
Growing up, Elizabeth wanted to be a rapper but later realized that her true passion was reciting poetry. When she entered the professional world as a teacher, she found that students were disengaged from literature. This is because they weren't finding stories that reflected their lived experiences. Acevedo then took it upon herself to bridge that gap and write stories of those underrepresented. She decided to leave teaching and become a writer full time. She became a fellow for both CantoMundo and Cave Canem, which are both esteemed poet organizations. Both organizations allow poets and writers to meet and exchange ideas focusing on underrepresented groups.
Elizabeth Acevedo writes poetry in a way that conveys a longer narrative. She has published 3 young adult novels and a number of other works of literature. Her work can also be found in other anthologies such as Because I Was A Girl: True Stories for Girls of All Ages by Henry Holt (2017) and Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism published by OR Books (2018). She has been recognized numerous times for her works and is a New York Times best-selling author for her book Clap When You Land and The Poet X (1). She received the title of Young People's Poet Laureate in 2019 for her work in poetry and has received a number of accolades throughout her career (2). She was the first Afro-Latina to be given the award of the Young People's Poet Laureate.
Slam poetry performance is another way Elizabeth has shared her work with the world. At the age of 14, she performed publicly for the first time at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is a performance space dedicated to the dismantling of race separation and promotes a sense of community for artists of all backgrounds. Acevedo then went on to be nationally recognized for her performances and has often performed well into adulthood.
The Poet X and Clap When You Land
The Poet X is a free verse novel published in 2018, written by Elizabeth Acevedo. The novel centers around 15-year-old Xiomara (X) and her experiences as a Dominican young woman in Harlem, New York City. X has a twin brother, whom she is often compared to and feels inferior to. She also feels controlled under her parents, which is common for children of Latin immigrants. X eventually finds her voice through poetry and eventually performance, motivated by her English teacher Ms. Galiano. X is also struggling to accept her religious background and finds herself asking more questions the more information she receives. There are also reoccurring themes of sexuality and what it means to be truly accepted. The Poet X received the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2018, as well as the Michael L. Printz Award for the best book written for teens in 2019 presented by the American Library Association (1). Terreece Clark with common sense media described the book as a "Powerful, haunting story of finding your voice and power"(3) and recommended the book to young adults 13 and up.
Clap When You Land is another novel written by Elizabeth Acevedo that was published in 2020. Two teenage girls, Camino Rios and Yahaira Rios, live seemingly normal and completely different lives. Camino lives in the Dominican Republic and is struck with the news that her father has died in a plane crash. At the same time, Yahaira is called to the principal's office to receive news of her father's death, also from a plane crash. What the girls don't know is that their fathers are the same. They will eventually learn of each other's existence and navigate their grief and new lives. Clap When You Land received a "GET IT" review from Kirkus reviews and was awarded a New York Times and Indiebound Bestseller (4).
Elizabeth Acevedo's work gives a platform to a subgroup of people who have been historically overlooked and talked down to. Her discussion of identity and experiences opens a door to a larger conversation regardless of skin color or background. Her accolades are not to be ignored, and her poetry is the perfect introduction to identity for young reader and old alike.
Work Cited
(1). Acevedo, Elizabeth. “About.” Elizabeth Acevedo, www.acevedowrites.com/about. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026.
(2). “Elizabeth Acevedo.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/elizabeth-acevedo-5aa950f8df1c6. Accessed 16 Sept. 2026.
(3). Clark, Terreece. “The Poet X - Parents’ Guide & Book Review.” Common Sense Media, 6 Aug. 2026, www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-poet-x. Accessed 24 Sept. 2026.
(4). Acevedo, Elizabeth. “CLAP WHEN YOU LAND.” Kirkus Reviews, Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins, 5 May 2020, www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/elizabeth-acevedo/clap-when-you-land/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2026.
It’s crazy that Acevedo was the first Afro-Latina to receive the Young People Poet Laureate, and it was as late as 2019. It was cool to learn that she is apart of 2 different poem promotion orgs. The way you describe the way she writes and her works you talked about, she seems similar to Jason Reynolds.
ReplyDeletePoetry is often an overlooked form of expression, so I love that Elizabeth Acevedo is using her power to bring attention to the art while also highlighting the experiences of herself and people like her. I think it's cool that she has found a passion in slam poetry, combining her original desire to be a rapper and her love of writing poems. Clap When You Land sounds like a particularly interesting concept for a novel, so I will definitely have to check that one out!
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