Susan “Spit-Fire” Lively is a poet, spoken word artist, producer, photographer, educator, and activist from Belleville, IL. Co-organizer of “100,000 Poets & Musicians for Change – St. Louis” (proceeds benefit local and national NPO's including Urb Arts, Amnesty International, the Immigrant & Refugee Women's Program, and the St. Louis Poetry Center) since its inception in 2011; Susan also produces the series’ “First Bloom” (Celebrating Women's History Month) and “Women For Peace”(Promoting Gender Violence Awareness), and co-produces the "Dia de los Muertos Fiesta" (proceeds benefit St. Louis Homeless Winter Outreach). In 2016 she became an Officer of Urb Arts' Executive Board. In January of 2017 Susan produced the St. Louis leg of the international event "Poets & Musicians Against Trump" (with co-producer John Blair).Lively's been featured on “Literature For The Halibut”, “The Arts with Nancy Kranzberg”, “WESLTV -24” and PBS’ “Living St. Louis”. She has taught spoken word and creative writing at Confluence Academy, Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition, and for the Nine Network and St. Louis Fringe. Susan’s work has been published in “Static Movement”, “Postcard Shorts”, “Head To Hand”, “The East St. Louis Monitor”, “The PEN”, “Chance Operations”, “Drumvoices Revue 20th Anniversary Edition”, “SIUE News”, "Big Bridge", “No Vacancy", the "She Chronicles", and the social justice anthology "Crossing the Divide".