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About
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, Departures Magazine, People’s World, PBS Newshour, SC Public Radio, Charleston Magazine, Charleston City Paper, North Dakota Quarterly, Post and Courier, Charleston Scene and several other publications.
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. One of his poems is on a Grammy-nominated album, and Marcus has recorded three albums with Grammy Award winning drummer and producer Quentin E. Baxter.
His ninth book is Black Music Is, from Free Verse Press.
-Joshua Thomas
This profile was created in 2022 as part of The Savvy Singer, an EXCEL Lab course at the
University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and a collaboration with the
Hampsong Foundation via the Classic Song Research Initiative.
Bibliography: Amaker, Marcus. Biography. Marcusamaker.com. Accessed Dec. 9, 2022. https://marcusamaker.com/bio/
Related Information
Songs
Videos
Books
Black Music Is
Black Music Is is a poetic love letter to Black music and history, through the ears of Bebop the cat. The book is recommended for ages 8-12, and is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about music, and sharpen their knowledge of Black history.
Empath
“empath is a project about connection and conversation. It’s about the empathy I feel for others on a small and large scale. These poems are inspired by the classrooms I’ve visited and the students who continue to spark me. There’s an abundance of love energy in this work - inspired by my wife, my cat and my family. And, of course, it’s about my deep love of Charleston," he said.
The Birth of All Things
The Birth of All Things is an eclectic mix of poems from Marcus Amaker, the first Poet Laureate of Charleston, SC. This personal collection delivers poems about a wide range of topics from Charleston, SC's first Poet Laureate. The book features Amaker’s handwritten poems, and an original illustration from Florida artist Nick Davis.