Pansy

Andrea Gibson (1975–2025) was born in Calais, Maine, and became one of the most beloved voices in spoken word poetry. Their work addressed LGBTQ identity, disability, love, grief, and social justice with extraordinary emotional force. They were the author of multiple collections including The Madness Vase (Penmanship Books, 2011), Take Me with You (Write Bloody, 2014), and Lord of the Butterflies (Button Poetry, 2018). They received the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Poetry. In 2021, Gibson announced a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and their subsequent work continued to engage illness, death, and resilience with characteristic directness.