Zell Miller III is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Austin, Texas, an award-winning interdisciplinary theater artist, playwright, and performer whose work explores identity, culture, and the human experience. Named Best Poet/Writer by the Austin Chronicle (2004) and inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame (2017), he is a leading voice in contemporary American arts. A nationally and internationally touring artist, he has opened for Nikki Giovanni and The Last Poets and appeared on PBS and KVUE News. Award winning instructor and has worked with youth for over 26 years. As a playwright and director, he has created 12 full-length productions, including Chronicles of an Indigenous offspring, My Child, My Child, My Alien Child and Hands Up Hoodies Down, and is a recipient of the David Mark Cohen Playwright Award. Rooted in a jazz aesthetic, his work blends poetry, theater, and movement to spark dialogue, connection, and social change.
