Our Team

Alise has grown with InsideOut from the ground up. As a former Writer-in-Residence at Cody and Cass Tech High Schools, Alise learned first-hand how to cultivate and empower student voice. She brings this on-the-ground knowledge and many years of non-profit youth program experience to her work as Program Director, which she held from 2009-2019, and in her new role as Director of School & Community Partnerships. Alise is a talented poet whose work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and is a recipient of a Knight Arts Challenge Detroit award.

With a passion for literacy and pedagogy, Shawntai works with Writers-in-Residence and classroom teachers to cultivate impactful and meaningful learning. In addition to attending InsideOut programs as a student and working in the classroom as a Writer-in-Residence,  Shawntai has a Master of Arts in Literacy Learning and has worked as an educator with students of all ages as well as adults. Shawntai is a playwright with the Extra Mile Playwrights and poet whose work has appeared in Kaleidoscope, Cactus Heart, and Synaesthesia Magazine.

Rose Gorman brings her deep roots in community arts and event planning prowess to InsideOut, where she coordinates Detroit’s Louder Than a Bomb Youth Poetry Festival for teens. A talented teacher, Rose has facilitated writing groups for youth and adults, including formerly homeless veterans, recent immigrants, incarcerated men, and LGBTQ+ homeless youth and elders. Her writing has appeared in Six Little Things, The Bridge, Paste Magazine, and elsewhere. Rose is the Resident Fellow for the Tuxedo Project, a community-based literary center in Detroit, and a member of the the 808 Writers Collective, a residency for queer writers of color.

Pete found his calling as a Writer-in-Residence with InsideOut and has been with the organization since it was founded 1995. In addition to inspiring students in the classroom, Pete partners with schools to create programs that fit their needs. Pete has published widely about the transformative power of writing, co-editing To Light a Fire: 20 Years with the InsideOut Literary Arts Project, and most recently a memoir, Inside My Pencil: Teaching Poetry in the Detroit Public Schools. A Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellow, Pete is the author of the novel Bob, or Man on Boat as well as five other books of short fiction.

Justin’s journey with InsideOut began first as a student at Cody High School where a Writer-in-Residence encouraged his writing and recruited him to join Citywide Poets. Since then, Justin has performed for international audiences and published his writing widely. Justin now coordinates our Citywide Poets program, elevating youth voice through weekly sessions around the city, guest writer workshops, performances, and open mic opportunities for youth.

A masterful facilitator, Devin works with teens as a Writer-in-Residence as well as leading our Youth Advisory Board and Youth Poet Laureate Initiatives. Dedicated to uplifting and empowering youth voice, Devin has coached slam teams and performed his own poetry on stages around the country.

As a recent alumni of Citywide Poets, Khila is proud to integrate her teaching and professional skills as the Events and Engagement Assistant. Khila supports programs and events in the community in celebration of InsideOut’s 25th anniversary, as well as assisting at Citywide Poets sites. She is currently a student at Henry Ford Community College. Khila’s goal has always been to write about what provokes an emotional response and to help others do the same. Khila’s work is generously supported by the Youth Speaks Future Corps Fellow program.