Born and raised in California, Alexander Williams obtained his bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz before becoming a master’s candidate of literature at CU Boulder. Williams’ pedagogy and writing strengthens the assertion that life is art. Creatively, he explores this assertion through haunted poetry and the archetype of the black male rapper. Because the persona created by the black male rapper in the United States is, for all intents and purposes, a social experiment, Williams’ work becomes the ultimate case study for his scholarly pursuits as poet, persona, and critic. Besides creative and poetic projects, Williams is also in the early stages of exploring community projects and wellness workshops designed for children of color. Through critical discussions and artistic pursuits, he believes emotional intelligence, mindfulness, meditation and other practices can allow students to unpack the trauma that plagues their lives and establish their own personas to push American literary, cultural and artistic boundaries.Â