DEBORAH D.E.E.P. MOUTON
LIBRETTIST
BIOGRAPHY
“[H]er homage to Black womanhood has resulted in a work of art that defies categorization.” – The New York Times (Review of D.E.E.P.’s debut memoir Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth)
Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton is a dynamic force in the literary and performing arts, renowned for her multifaceted talents as a poet, director, performer, and critic. As Houston’s inaugural Black Poet Laureate, she has been a trailblazer in the world of performance poetry, previously holding the distinction of being the #2 Best Female Performance Poet in the World (PSI).
D.E.E.P.’s artistry extends to the stage with groundbreaking theatrical works that include operas, poetry slam, and musicals.Her upcoming productions, such as She Who Dared (ChicagoOpera Theater, 2025) and Future of Dreams (Kennedy Center,2025), showcase such versatility. Her other notable works include On My Mind (Opera Theater St. Louis, 2023), Atlanta: 1906 (Atlanta Opera, 2022), and The Forest of Secrets (National Sawdust, 2022). Her choreopoem Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson (Stages Theater, 2022), which graced the cover of the NYT Culture section, and The World's Intermission (Performing Arts Houston, 2021) highlight her genius as both playwright and director. She has also collaborated with the Houston Ballet, Houston Rockets, and performed for a crowd of over 30,000 at the Texans' 50-yard line.
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Her literary brilliance has graced prestigious collections and platforms. Her contributions are featured in Houston Noir (Akashic Press, 2019), Black Girl Magic (Haymarket Books, 2019), and prominent journals like the Texas Observer and Fjords Journal. She has captivated audiences on NPR, BBC, ABC, Apple News, Blavity, Upworthy, and the TedX stage. Recognized by the Houston Business Journal as a member of the 2021 40 Under 40, D.E.E.P. has also written for Texas Monthly, Glamour Magazine, Muzzle, and ESPN’s Andscape.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has lauded her as a “Literary Genius,” and her memoir Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co.) has been celebrated as Best Nonfiction of 2023 by The Texas Institute of Letters. Her poetry collection Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary, 2019) earned a Pushcart nomination, was a finalist for the Writer’s League of Texas Book Award, and received honorable mention for the Summerlee Book Prize. The German translation, Berichtenswert, was released by Elif Verlag in 2021. Anticipation is high for her upcoming children’s book, Hush Hush Hurricane (Kokila Books), set for release soon.
Her work has received international acclaim and has been studied in Canada, England, New Zealand, and Germany. She made waves at the Leipzig in Autumn literary festival in 2018, bridging poetry slam with international publishing communities. As a curator and visual artist, her debut exhibit _____As Myth (2022) explored mythmaking through self-examination and social commentary, debuting at Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts and later at Houston’s City Hall. Her forthcoming community exhibit, Call Me Mother, will tackle the Black Maternal Health Crisis and is set to open in Fall 2025.
D.E.E.P. holds dual bachelor’s degrees in English and African American Studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, along with a Master’s in Education from the University of St. Thomas. A certified teacher in Texas, she has devoted over two decades to the education of young minds, the expansion of literacy, and the dismantling of literary racism.
D.E.E.P. resides in Houston with her loving husband and two energetic children.
Current as of September 1, 2024
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"The libretto, by Houston Poet Laureate Emeritus Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, is clear-eyed and quietly confrontational." – Houston Chronicle
Marian's Song – "Among its loftier artistic achievements, “Marian’s Song” packed a lot of history, and a lot of subtext, into a similar running time as the average Netflix drama. The libretto, by Houston Poet Laureate Emeritus Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, is clear-eyed and quietly confrontational."
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"Deborah is a phenomenal poet and spoken-word artist…" – Arts and Culture Texas
Marian's Song – "Deborah is a phenomenal poet and spoken-word artist… It has never been done this way, the way Deborah has done it, which is very ingenious… Having the spoken word take place while there’s singing going on is a very delicate, intricate thing to do.”