Natalie E. Illum is a poet, disability activist and singer living in Washington DC. She is a 2017 Jenny McKean Moore Poetry Fellow, and a recipient of a 2017 Artists Grant from the DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, and an instructor for Poetry Out Loud. She was a founded board member of mothertongue, a DC women’s open mic that lasted 15 years. She competed on the National Poetry Slam circuit and was the 2013 Beltway Grand Slam Champion. Her work has appeared in various anthologies and journals, and on NPR’s Snap Judgement. Natalie has an MFA in creative writing from American University, and teaches workshops across the country. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter as @poetryrox and as one half of All Her Muses. Natalie also enjoys Joni Mitchell, whiskey and giraffes.