Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson standing on a garden path in a red gown, hand on hip

Poet

Biography

Her Story

Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson standing on a grassy hill among palm trees, wearing a red gown

Andrea discovered words were her gift, her calling.

At the age of 6, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson found a typewriter while visiting her aunt in Corpus Christi. Wanting to explore the possibilities, she decided to write her mother a love poem. That moment sparked an excitement and anticipation for sharing her words that never waned. While in 7th grade, her English teacher compared her work to Maya Angelou, and encouraged her to check out books from the library. Andrea discovered words were her gift, her calling. Soon after, at the age of thirteen, the untimely loss of a close friend inspired her to compose a poem for the memorial service. The appreciation of her friend’s family connected the feeling she’d put into words to the experiences of loss and pain in life. Through the recognition from her educators and peers, and discovery of other literary giants such as Robert Frost and Langston Hughes, she felt a life’s calling to etch her own mark in the vast world of literature.

Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson in a garden, hands clasped, gazing upward in a red off-the-shoulder dress

For her, poetry is about self-discovery and increasing personal understanding of the world.

Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson’s efforts to create a safe space for youth in the artistic fold, is nothing less than a life-saving endeavor. She knows firsthand the struggle to find the perfect words to capture thoughts and emotions. Her work at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center for the last 20 years has shown her the need for guidance through the complexity of the human experience. For her, poetry is about self-discovery and increasing personal understanding of the world.

she became the first African American Poet Laureate of San Antonio

In a January 2018 feature article in The San Antonio Current, journalist Chris Conde said, “watching Sanderson in her element… [the] word “hero” came to mind. And not “hero” for the sake of just skill, but for her work in her community: Sanderson teaches poetry workshops, mentors, builds up and encourages artists to pursue their art, and gives them platforms to showcase their talent.” This devotion, not only to her craft, but to nurture artistic growth in others, has laid a broad and sustainable foundation in San Antonio which future generations can and do use to bring the city to the world stage. On April 1st, 2020 she became the first African American Poet Laureate of San Antonio, TX. 2020-2023. In 2021 she was awarded a $50,000 fellowship by The Academy of American Poets. After receiving her fellowship, Andrea launched The Echo Project involving: intergenerational storytelling, oral histories, performance and creative writing workshops, and interviews with the local community artists and stakeholders. After a series of filming events, the project was translated through spoken word poetry and video documentation. The series has launched on YouTube.com and debuted on the KLRN series “The Beat”. In 2020 Andrea began creating commissioned poetry for public artworks. Her poetry is featured in artwork across the city including: Peacock Alley, Commerce St., San Antonio International Airport. Poet’s Pointe, and San Pedro Creek. In July of 2022 Andrea received a Creation Fund grant and Development Fund grant from National Performance Network for the development of her upcoming theater production of, The Seasoned Woman co-commissioned by The Carver and Art2Action. The production which co-stars Lubana Al-Quntar, the first voice of the Syrian Opera, premiered to audiences on May 3, 2024 in San Antonio, TX. with an upcoming tour schedule for cities across the U.S. Sanderson released her second collection of poetry after the successful premiere of The Seasoned Woman with that same title in March of 2025 on with Gnashing Teeth Publishing. Sanderson is looking to release a new collection of works later in 2026 in celebration of Montgomery Variations, an orchestral body music by composer Margaret Bonds.

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson was the first African American Poet Laureate of San Antonio, Texas (2020–2023).
In 2021 she received a $50,000 Poets Laureate Fellowship from The Academy of American Poets.
She is the author of two poetry collections — She Lives in Music (FlowerSong Press, 2020) and The Seasoned Woman (Gnashing Teeth Publishing, 2025).
Her commissioned poetry appears in public artworks across San Antonio, including the San Antonio International Airport, Poet’s Pointe, and San Pedro Creek.

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