Akua Lezli Hope, wisdom seeker and paraplegic creator of poems, patterns, stories, music, sculpture, and adornments, has been in print since 1974. Her collections include Embouchure (Writer’s Digest Book Award) and Otherwheres (Elgin Award). A Cave Canem fellow, her honors include NEA and NYFA fellowships, as well as SFPA, Rhysling, and IGNYTE awards. Her collection Telepath appears April 2026 from Gnashing Teeth Publishing.