Today we’d like to introduce you to Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.
Hi Deborah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I moved to Houston from California in 2006. I quickly became part if the Houston Poetry scene, competing in local slams and performing all over the state of Texas. While building bridges for community to engage with literature and poetry, I developed my craft, traveling and leading workshops all over the world. In 2017, I was named the first Black Poet Laureate of the City of Houston. I worked diligently to build programming and opportunities for writers of color and community members around the city. I published my first book, Newsworthy, in 2019 with the local press Bloomsday Literary. My sophomore book, Black Chameleon, followed in 2023 with Henry Holt & Co, with a fore coming children’s book next year on Kokila.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While there have been many struggles in the last few years, the largest change for me happened about a year and a half ago. After years of balancing a job in education and a profession in the arts, I stepped out as a full-time artist. The road has been a tricky ride. From having to establish a new LLC, Deep Ink, to managing the nuances of a 7-city European tour, the business of running my craft as a business has been tricky and satisfying in ways I didn’t imagine. I have learned that building a team that can help support and take the load off of tasks make new room for my creative energy. Every day is a proving ground.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an internationally known writer, performer, critic, and director. I am known for straddling genres with lyrical and thought-provoking work centered on making the human experience more tangible. I am most proud of the work I get to do in collaboration with other artists, especially when I can make new space available for up-and-coming artists in the field.
Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton is an internationally known writer, director, performer, critic, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, TX. She is the author of the 2019 poetry collection Newsworthy with Bloomsday Literary (and its German counterpart Berichtenswert with Elif Verlag), which was a finalist for the The Writer’s League of Texas Book Award and Honorable Mention in the Summerlee Book Prize. Her poems have garnered her a pushcart nomination and been translated across multiple genres and languages. Honored by Houston Business Journal as a part of their 2021 40 Under 40 class, she has been a contributing writer for Glamour, Texas Monthly, Muzzle, Kweli, and ESPN’s Andscape.
As a playwright and a librettist, she has penned multiple stage works, including Marian’s Song with Houston Grand Opera (HGO) & The Forest of Secrets, which premiered at National Sawdust, and an upcoming work, She Who Dared, with American Lyric Theater. Her directorial debut began with her work The World’s Intermission, commissioned by Performing Arts Houston and performed at the historic Jones Hall. A work which has since been adapted for film. She served as writer/director for Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson, a choreopoem premiered at Stages Theater in Houston, TX, where she resides.
Her recent memoir, Black Chameleon with Henry Holt & Co. (2023), examines womanhood through mythology. One of its stories has been adapted into a storybook opera for young audiences titled “Lula, the Mighty Griot” (HGO). Currently, she is a Resident Artist with the American Lyric Theater, Rice University, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I love the outdoors (when it isn’t sweltering). I am a huge fan of nature. As an occupational extrovert, I love connecting with people, but I feed off of quiet time to reflect and think.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.livelifedeep.com
- Instagram: @livelifedeep
- Facebook: facebook.com/Livinglifedeep
- Twitter: @Livelifedeep
- Youtube: @livelifedeep
Image Credits
Pin Lim
Tyler Rand
