Quartez Harris is a poet and teaching artist. He was awarded the Baldwin House Fellowship and named Ohio Association’s Poet of the Year for his book, We Made It to School Alive.
His poetry has received numerous accolades. Harris spent many years as a second-grade teacher in the Cleveland public school system and currently dedicates his time to living within books, writing, and running poetry workshops. He exemplifies the transformative power of literature. His inspiring literary works and passionate advocacy for education and personal growth stem from his own experiences. As a student, Harris struggled with reading and writing, but the support from his IEP teacher, Mr. Moore, along with his aunt’s love for language, played a crucial role in fostering his love for words.
His newest book is Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer (January 2025), is a USA Today Bestseller and serves as an ode to the childhood of American icon James Baldwin and the power of storytelling, illustrated by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King Honoree Gordon C. James.
