Alicia Cook is a writer and creative living in Newark, New Jersey whose words have been highlighted in Teen Vogue, CNN, and USA Today. Her poetry is usually unfixed and covers various topics and emotions. Her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. When Cook is not creating poetry or drinking Rook coffee, she is writing about addiction and its direct effect on families. Her series, “The Other Side of Addiction,” written in honour of her cousin Jessica who lost her life to heroin, has developed a worldwide readership. These are very personal accounts, written to shed light on this deadly epidemic and prove that anyone can be affected. Her efforts were featured on the episode “A Family Disease” by the Emmy nominated documentary series, “Here’s the Story”. Alicia Cook currently writes full-time as the Director of Institutional Communications at Bloomfield College. She loves the ocean, French fries, champagne, and spending time with her family.