Marcus Amaker, Charleston, South Carolina’s First Poet Laureate, is an award-winning web designer, graphic designer, videographer, musician and author. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. As an author, Amaker has released seven poetry books and has performed on national TV. Amaker’s poems have been featured on PBS Newshour, The Huffington Post, several journals and poetry collections.  Additionally, he was one of the poets featured in Seeking the Spirit:  An Evening of Poetry and Jazz which was inspired by Jonathan Green’s painting, Seeking. A well-known graphic/web designer and videographer, Amaker produces award-winning work for many local nonprofits and organizations. He is also the lead graphic designer for the national music magazine, No Depression. As a musician, Marcus has been releasing and recording music since he was 10 years old. His 2014 spoken word/jazz album, The New Foundation, was recorded with Grammy-nominated drummer and producer Quentin E. Baxter.