Heather 'Byrd' Roberts is a Chicago-based poet, performer, teaching artist, and author. Her first chapbook, 'Mahogany: A Love Letter To Black,' was published in 2016. Byrd’s work focuses on the intersectionality between form and freedom. She uses her experiences as a black woman in a variety of spaces to shed light on issues of privilege, love, and familial relationships. Her work unlocks the opportunity for invisible voices to be heard. Byrd’s work will appear in CAGIBI’s journal in July, she was a semi-finalist in the 25th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, and was part of the Poetic Forum Collective from November 2014–December 2016. She is a 2019 Swarm Artist Resident and is currently the Senior Education Programs Manager at Young Chicago Authors. Her favorite words are balloon and bubble. To learn more, visit www.byrdsworld.com.