Susan M. Peiffer is a queer poet, educator, and youth advocate who has worked since 2012 to elevate literary arts and spoken word poetry in Colorado Springs. Appointed 5th Poet Laureate of the Pikes Peak Region, Susan promotes poetry as a lifelong skill to enjoy. Recognized for five consecutive years by the Pikes Peak Arts Council with awards in performance poetry and leadership, Susan’s confessional and observational poetry covers challenging topics using colorful language and unique cadences to inspire urgency and conversation around visceral issues affecting people today. Susan is an animated and inclusive presenter who readily engages audiences and inspires the unique circumstances into which poems arrive. Susan serves as Executive Director of Hear Here Poetry, a nonprofit encouraging people to listen, write, and share together, and whose focus is on activating and amplifying youth voices.