Writer

Maurisa Li-A-Ping is a Black queer woman writer and the creator of Tulips in the Garden: A Black Queer Supper Club. Leveraging Black Feminist Pedagogy, Maurisa uses poetry and community engagement to honor the interiority of Black queer womxn—the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions that shape who we are. She cultivates inclusive environments that empower individuals, promote learning, and develop a sense of belonging. These capabilities are demonstrated through her creative work and quarterly gatherings with Tulips in the Garden: A Black Queer Supper Club.

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Maurisa's work can be found in Puerto del Sol, Up the Staircase Quarterly, New Delta Review, The Offing, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, and elsewhere. Maurisa's accolades include being a poetry Pushcart Prize-nominee, Watering Hole Fellow, Furious Flower Poetry Prize finalist, Nancy Craig Blackburn Fellow, Blood Orange Review Poetry Contest Winner, and more. She has earned a M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs from Indiana University and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Randolph College.

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Maurisa enjoys spending time in nature, doing yoga, baking goodies for loved ones, and painting her nails.