Biography
Reginald Dwayne Betts (he/him) is a poet, essayist, and memoirist. Betts grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He was arrested and sentenced to prison as a teenager; his work offers a complicated picture and criticism of the American carceral system. A father of two sons, Betts writes poetry that also explores fatherhood and systematically chronicles joy found in the Black American experience.
He is the author of Doggerel and Felon, both published by W.W. Norton. A contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, he has written about James Earl Jones, Michael K. Williams, and Harry Belafonte. In 2018 he won a National Magazine Award. Betts has earned multiple fellowships, including one from the MacArthur Foundation. He is the founder and CEO of Freedom Reads.
