In 2012, Lauren earned her B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis from the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Bettering American Poetry 2015, Rust + Moth, Hermeneutic Chaos, and Connotation Press. Lauren's work focuses on her identities as a queer black femme living with C-PTSD. In her free time, she enjoys watching RuPaul's Drag Race, dancing to Joy Division, and eating gyros. For more information, visit http://www.laurentyates.com.