Taylor Mali s a poet, an educator, a four-time National Poetry Slam champion, a TED "Best of the Web" speaker, and the author of What Teachers Make- In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World and the children's book The Teachers I Loved Best. He spent nine years in the classroom and now performs and lectures for teachers around the world, helping them share a love of poetry with their students. He has performed or taught poetry in forty-two countries and in every state of the U.S. (except Wyoming!). Taylor is the former president of Poetry Slam, Inc., the non-profit organization that oversees all poetry slams in North America. Learn more about Taylor's work at taylormali.com, and follow him on Twitter at @TaylorMali and on Instagram at @taylor_mali. Erica Root is a Philadelphia-based artist and designer. Learn more about her work at ericaroot.com, and follow her on Instagram at @illustrate_this_life.