Fred L. Joiner is a poet and curator based in Carrboro, NC. His work has been published in various journals, anthologies, art catalogs, and he has presented his work nationally and internationally. Joiner recently served as the Poet Laureate of Carrboro, was awarded a 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship, and has received awards, fellowships, and residences from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, and St Mary's College of Maryland. He is also the founder of Black Ekphrastic, a website highlighting the work of Black creative writers and their engagements with other art forms. Joiner serves on the board of directors for the Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation and the Orange County Arts Alliance.