Marcus Amaker

Amaker graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1999. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. After graduation, he worked at The Anderson Independent-Mail. He later moved to Charleston in 2003 to work as a graphic designer at the Post and Courier. While at the Post and Courier, he became editor of Preview and Charleston Scene, the paper’s entertainment sections.

Marcus Amaker and Marjory Wentworth read at Mayor John Tecklenburg’s inauguration, in 2016. Shortly thereafter, Tecklenburg named Amaker Charleston, South Carolina’s first poet laureate. Amaker frequently visits schools to lead poetry workshops with students. Amaker was asked to compose a poem for the removal of the John C. Calhoun statue in June, 2020.

In addition to poetry, Amaker is an opera librettist. His debut opera, The Weight of Light, will premiere in 2024 for the Chicago Opera Theater.

He also penned the lyrics for Unknown, a song cycle commissioned by UrbanAiras, a DC-based opera company. Notably, Unknown was covered by PBS Newshour and The Washington Post.

Marcus' lyrics for "The Rain," a song by opera singer Will Liverman, was named one of NPR's top songs of 2021. The album received a Grammy nomination.

• Charleston, South Carolina poet laureate (2016–present)
• Gaillard Center artist-in-residence (2019–present)
• Fresh Voice in the Humanities arts award from South Carolina Humanities
• 2023 Emanuel Nine Humanitarian Award Honoree
• South Carolina Press Association, 2005: Second Place in page design (daily division, over 80,000)
• South Carolina Press Association, 2007: First Place in page design (daily division, over 80,000)
• South Carolina Press Association, 2008: First Place in feature page design (daily division, over 80,000); First Place in entertainment section (all daily division)
• South Carolina Press Association, 2009: Second Place in page design (daily division, over 80,000); Third Place in illustrations (daily division, over 80,000)
• South Carolina Press Association, 2010: Second Place in entertainment section (daily division, over 80,000); Third Place in inside page design (daily division, over 80,000)

• Hold What Makes You Whole. 2023. Free Verse Press. ISBN 978-1734673722
• Black Music Is. 2021. Free Verse Press. ISBN 978-1-7374696-0-5
• The Birth of All Things. 2020. Free Verse Press. ISBN 978-1-7346737-0-8
• Empath. 2018. Createspace. ISBN 978-1976520006
• Mantra: an interactive poetry book (second edition). 2016. Createspace ISBN 978-1530297511
• the spoken word: selected poems: 2003-2013. 2013. Createspace. ISBN 978-1490586755
• the present presence. 2012. Createspace. ISBN 978-1477414606
• The Soft Paper Cut: poetry and art by marcus amaker. 2007. Organic Process, LLC. ISBN 978-0979651014
• poems for augustine. 2005. Createspace. ISBN 978-1419609138
• listening to static: poetry and graphic art. 2005. Booksurge. ISBN 978-1419603860

• Big Butt (1986) - self-released cassette
• gimme some (1987) - self-released cassette
• Play It (1988) - self-released cassette
• Say No! (1988) - self-released cassette
• Daydreaming' (1988) - self-released cassette
• All uv the Time (1989) - self-released cassette
• Minimalism (2005) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• Dealate (2005) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• escapism (2006) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• 1945 (2008) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• lady phoenix (2009) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• Digital Detox (2010) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• the cassette demos (2011) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• Sunday Rain (2011)
• animation (2012) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• The New Foundation (2015) - with Quentin E. Baxter. Poetry and jazz
• the drum machine, part 1 (2015) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• analogue 1-6 (2016-2017) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• open (2018) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• empath (2018) - with Quentin E. Baxter. Poetry and jazz
• empath (variations) (2018) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• creating empty space (2019) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• the birth of all things (2019) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• the weight that holds the animal (2019) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• contagion (2020) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• rhythm vaccine (2020) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• subversive (2021) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• TEXTURE // 1 (2021) - electronic music, released as tape loop with CONCEPT RXCH
• ELECTROPOEMS (2022) - electronic music and poetry
• kept & let go of (2022) - electronic music, released as tape loop
• humid tombstones (2023) - electronic music, released as tape loop

Marcus was born in Las Vegas, Nevada to Betty and Willie Amaker, who were stationed there because of the Air Force. The family moved to England, Maryland, Japan and Texas before moving to South Carolina. Marcus' family is from Orangeburg, South Carolina. In 2015, Marcus married Jordan Freeman in Charleston, South Carolina. His daughter, Rei Amaker, was born in late 2019.