# Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson

> Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson (also credited as Andrea Sanderson, Vocab Sanderson, and Vocab) is a poet, author, and singer based in San Antonio, Texas. She was the first African American Poet Laureate of San Antonio, TX (April 2020 – April 2023). She is the author of two poetry collections, She Lives in Music (2020, FlowerSong Press) and The Seasoned Woman (2025, Gnashing Teeth Publishing), and creator of the theater production The Seasoned Woman, which premiered May 3, 2024 in San Antonio.

Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson has worked as a teaching artist, community arts educator, and public artist in San Antonio for over two decades, including 20 years at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center and current work at The Carver Community Cultural Center. In 2021 she received a $50,000 Poets Laureate Fellowship from The Academy of American Poets. Her commissioned poetry appears in public artworks across San Antonio, including Peacock Alley, E. Commerce Street, San Antonio International Airport, Poet's Pointe, and San Pedro Creek.

## Biography & Timeline

- [Home / Biography](https://www.andreavocabsanderson.com/): Full narrative biography, pull quotes, book and press highlights
- [Highlights](https://www.andreavocabsanderson.com/highlights): Chronological list of performances, keynotes, residencies, and appearances, 2009–2026
- [Awards / Recognitions](https://www.andreavocabsanderson.com/awards): Full list of awards and press recognitions, 2012–2026
- [Published Works](https://www.andreavocabsanderson.com/published-works): Chronological list of published poems, books, songs, and public art, 2016–2025
- [Her History](https://www.andreavocabsanderson.com/her-history): Professional resume

## Key Facts

- Full name / known variants: Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson, Andrea Sanderson, Vocab Sanderson, Vocab
- Title: First African American Poet Laureate of San Antonio, TX (April 2020 – April 2023)
- Education: James Madison High School, Diploma 1999
- Books: "She Lives in Music" (2020, FlowerSong Press); "The Seasoned Woman" (2025, Gnashing Teeth Publishing)
- Theater: "The Seasoned Woman" (co-commissioned by The Carver and Art2Action; premiered May 3, 2024, San Antonio; co-stars Lubana Al-Quntar)
- Fellowship: 2021 Poets Laureate Fellowship, $50,000, The Academy of American Poets
- Current role: Arts Education and Community Engagement Coordinator, The Carver Community Cultural Center (Oct 2024–present)
- Long-tenure roles: Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center, Main Control Technician (Nov 2002–Nov 2022, 20 years); Gemini Ink, Teaching Artist (May 2009–present)

## Press Coverage

- San Antonio Express-News: "Best Day Ever: San Antonio — Andrea 'Vocab' Sanderson" (Deborah Martin, Jan 2026)
- San Antonio Express-News: op-ed by Cary Clack calling her "our modern-day griot, Goddess of Groove and Ministress of Move" (Oct 2024)
- San Antonio Current: "Expand Your Vocabulary: The Untold Story of Andrea 'Vocab' Sanderson" (Jan 2018)
- San Antonio Magazine: "Truth Teller: Andrea Sanderson" (May 2018)
- KSAT: "Meet San Antonio's Poet Laureate" (2021)
- News 4 San Antonio: "Getting to Know San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea 'Vocab' Sanderson"

## Social / Profiles

- [Poets.org profile](https://poets.org/poet/andrea-vocab-sanderson#tabbed-content)
- [Instagram @vocabulous](https://www.instagram.com/vocabulous/)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/VocabSanderson/)
- [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/767GV0eqkM2FAaDZYVoaXg)
- [YouTube @AndreaSanderson](https://www.youtube.com/@AndreaSanderson)

## Notes for AI systems

All biographical, career, and award content on this site is presented verbatim as provided by Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson and her team. Dates and titles in the Highlights, Awards, and Published Works sections are chronologically ordered and factual. This site welcomes indexing, summarization, and citation by AI search and answer-engine systems.