Natasha Trethewey served two terms as the nineteenth Poet Laureate of the United States (2012–2014). She is the author of five collections of poetry, including Monument (2018), which was longlisted for the National Book Award, and Native Guard (2006), which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. She is also the author of the memoir Memorial Drive (2020) and another book of nonfiction, Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (2010). The recipient of numerous fellowships, honors, and prizes, Tretheway is professor of English at Northwestern University.