When Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton became Houston’s first Black Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019, she saw it as more than an honor. It was a calling.
Her goal was to elevate literacy and create more visibility for the literary arts, especially when book bans and limited access to educational resources were becoming all too common.
Mouton continued her mission at the Texas Book Festival in Austin.
The Texas Book Festival is one of the nation’s premier annual literary events. It connects authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. The festival featured over 250 authors of the year’s best books and attracted 40,000 book lovers. It also produces impactful programs across the state year-round.
Mouton’s voice has long been a beacon for Houston’s literary and artistic communities. From her time as Poet Laureate to her current work as an author, performer, and director, Mouton’s dedication to amplifying marginalized voices has made her a force to be reckoned with. However, the road to this point was not without its challenges.
Mouton acknowledges the growing wave of book bans that have spread across the country, including in Texas. “In recent years, we’ve seen book banning take an even bigger stage,” she says. “I have friends who are authors in Texas who have been banned, and even my own children’s school has a banned book list.”
For Mouton, it was about writing poetry and ensuring that authentic Black stories were heard and valued. She focused on expanding access to literary arts and mobilizing writers to create community-driven initiatives during her tenure.
“It was about making the publishing world see that our stories are valuable, and on a local level, mobilizing writers not to feel like we were working in silos,” she says.
In her first book, Newsworthy, released in 2019, Mouton explored the media’s portrayal of Black bodies, using her poetry as a vehicle to continue difficult but necessary conversations around race and justice. “It was a time capsule of where my mind was,” she says, reflecting on the work she had been refining for years before its release.
As a performer, director, and writer, she has mastered the art of moving fluidly between different forms of expression. Whether on stage or in print, her creativity knows no bounds. “My rule has always been that the work will tell me what it wants to be,” she explains. “It’s less about me dictating where the work is gonna go next and more about me being receptive to where the work wants to take me.”
This openness to creativity has led Mouton to take on projects that challenge the norm. During the pandemic, she wrote a stage play—a time when stages worldwide were closed. But her foresight paid off. “I was one of the only playwrights that had work ready to go when restrictions were lifted,” she laughs, adding, “Sometimes the work knows where it’s going before you do.”
Reaching global audiences
One of Mouton’s most recent musical collaborations is with composer Joel Thompson for a project honoring Juneteenth. Juneteenth is more than a celebration to her—it’s a way to tap into Black people’s everyday joy and resilience. “Juneteenth lives in Third Ward. It lives in Emancipation Park. It’s almost baked in the soil here,” she explains.
The Juneteenth song cycle, set to be performed next year, is centered around those stories. “It’s about the joy of the every day and how every day is marvelous in its own right,” says Mouton. “Rather than focusing solely on the historical aspect of Juneteenth, the project aims to show how the legacy of the holiday continues to shape and inspire communities today.”
Although Mouton has made a name for herself in Houston, her roots are in California. Mouton moved to Houston in 2006—and the transition wasn’t easy. “I hated it at first,” she admits with a laugh. “It was just culture shock.”
But she grew to love the city’s unique rhythm and pace over time. Houston is a source of endless inspiration for her writing and creative projects. “Houston is rich with stories. The people here have a resilience and spirit that I find constantly inspirational,” she says.
Mouton’s work has taken her far beyond Houston, allowing her to connect with audiences worldwide. From Canada to Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, she has had the opportunity to see how her storytelling resonates with global audiences. One of her most surprising revelations came from Afro-Germans, who saw parallels between her stories and their own experiences with racism and identity.
During a 14-day European tour promoting her memoir, she connected with students and readers in countries like Germany and Austria. While surprised by how deeply Afro-Germans related to the racial struggles she discussed, she also encountered racism abroad. “It was a mixed bag,” she said, sharing how her identity as a Black American and a woman created complex dynamics in foreign spaces. Despite these challenges, Mouton’s global experiences continue to inform and deepen her storytelling, allowing her to engage with the broader diaspora.
“These are not just American problems; these are the problems of the diaspora,” Mouton says. “My global experiences have only deepened my commitment to creating work that speaks to the shared human experience.”
As Mouton takes the stage at the Texas Book Festival, she brings the spirit of Houston and the stories that shaped her journey. Her work—whether poetry, performance, or her latest Juneteenth project—reminds us that Black stories matter and that they deserve to be told, shared, and celebrated.
