Arianne True

Arianne True was born on August 6, 1991, in the rural Pacific Northwest. She grew up in Seattle and was active in the local youth poetry scene. She is Chickasaw (enrolled) and Choctaw, chronically ill and disabled, neurodivergent, and a lesbian. She earned an MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts. 

True’s work has appeared in numerous journals, zines, and anthologies. Her first full-length collection of poetry is forthcoming from Red Hen Press in 2026. She has received fellowships and residencies from Hedgebrook, the Jack Straw Cultural Center, and Artist Trust, among other organizations.

True was the inaugural Native Artist-in-Residence at Seattle Repertory Theater (2021–22), which included creating a massive solo multimedia poetry installation open to the public. She has also participated in group installation shows and served as a poet for the Pride Poets Hotline in 2021. She has worked as a teaching artist with young poets through organizations like Writers in the Schools, Hugo House, and the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate program.

In 2023, True was appointed poet laureate of Washington State through 2025. In 2024, she received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. She lives in Tacoma.