Elizabeth “Lizz” Straight is an acclaimed poet, performer, educator, and cultural advocate who has shaped the spoken word landscape for more than twenty years. Originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and raised partly in South Philadelphia, her work carries a signature blend of grit, grace, and literary precision—an unmistakable voice that has earned her recognition as one of the nation’s top spoken word artists.
A powerhouse on slam stages across the country, Lizz is a multi-year Southern Fried Poetry Slam champion, with numerous top-ranked individual and team placements, including a #7 national ranking at the Individual World Poetry Slam. Her performances have taken her internationally, including the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Toronto’s “When Sistas Speak” showcase. She is also the subject of Lizz Straight: Portrait of a Poet (2006), an award-recognized documentary featured at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and the North Carolina Black Film Festival.
Beyond the stage, Lizz is an accomplished radio personality and social activist. She created and hosted the influential Poetry Is… radio show on WMNF 88.5 FM—earning WMNF’s Programmer of the Year (2006)—where she interviewed artists such as Common, The Last Poets, and Chrisette Michelle. Her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices also led her to work as a StoryCorps Mobile Facilitator, with several nationally broadcast interviews airing on NPR’s Morning Edition.
As an educator, Lizz ... view more »
Elizabeth “Lizz” Straight is an acclaimed poet, performer, educator, and cultural advocate who has shaped the spoken word landscape for more than twenty years. Originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and raised partly in South Philadelphia, her work carries a signature blend of grit, grace, and literary precision—an unmistakable voice that has earned her recognition as one of the nation’s top spoken word artists.
A powerhouse on slam stages across the country, Lizz is a multi-year Southern Fried Poetry Slam champion, with numerous top-ranked individual and team placements, including a #7 national ranking at the Individual World Poetry Slam. Her performances have taken her internationally, including the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Toronto’s “When Sistas Speak” showcase. She is also the subject of Lizz Straight: Portrait of a Poet (2006), an award-recognized documentary featured at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and the North Carolina Black Film Festival.
Beyond the stage, Lizz is an accomplished radio personality and social activist. She created and hosted the influential Poetry Is… radio show on WMNF 88.5 FM—earning WMNF’s Programmer of the Year (2006)—where she interviewed artists such as Common, The Last Poets, and Chrisette Michelle. Her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices also led her to work as a StoryCorps Mobile Facilitator, with several nationally broadcast interviews airing on NPR’s Morning Edition.
As an educator, Lizz has taught English Language Arts, creative writing, and mindfulness throughout Palm Beach County, integrating poetry as a pathway to emotional and intellectual empowerment. Her dedication to both teaching and the literary arts was honored with the Heather Rose Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding achievement and service in spoken word poetry and education.
Her writing appears in multiple literary journals, and her community work includes bringing poetry into correctional institutions, founding poetry collectives, and mentoring emerging artists.
Lizz holds degrees in Mass Communications/Photography and English Creative Writing, and she is currently an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte (Class of 2027).
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