Bio

Born on August 9th, 1983 in Norfolk, Virginia, Erika Renee Land is an American 21st-century war poet known for her numerous essays, fiction novels, various poetry collections, and being a civil rights activist. As a War Poet, Erika channels her experiences of being deployed to Mosul, Iraq to help with Operation Iraqi Freedom into dynamic poetry that takes the reader on a journey emotionally and physically. She has published two books of poetry. The first was Residual Affects, with fellow veteran KaTisha Smittick that juxtaposes their similar experiences by meshing poetry and photography, and the second book Georgia’s Dam embodies Erika’s struggles with Post-traumatic stress disorder, that takes you to the very spots where she created most of her poetry. Her first fiction series It’s Complicated highlights the struggles of interpersonal relationships, and her latest book of an Artist highlights various mental and emotional states that artists tend to deal with on their creative journeys. As a civil rights activist, she travels giving the opening speeches for marches, is a member of the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, and the Alliance for Justice to name a few.