Nicole Lanier Montez is an American poet, author, and entrepreneur known for her bold work exploring social, economic, and racial issues. She is the founder of Four Square Mile, a literary and artistic company based in Baltimore, Maryland, where she facilitates poetry workshops and creates literary themed products.
Background
Information
Montez’s poetic career spans four decades, during which she has authored multiple poetry collections and recorded a spoken‑word CD. Her work has appeared in The Anointed Path, The Vine Magazine, and Watts Winery Company, and her books are included in the collections of Poets House in New York City, the Mt. Vernon Public Library in Mt. Vernon, NY, and The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System in Maryland. In 2015, Montez recognized a growing need to expand the pool of poetic voices and cultivate new readers of the written word. Answering that call, she stepped into the role of poetry workshop facilitator. Since then, she has passionately promoted poetry to a bouquet of hues, a host of genders, and cross‑generational audiences throughout the United States—creating spaces where creativity flourishes, stories are honored, and community is strengthened one workshop at a time.
Accomplishments
In October 2025, Nicole Lanier Montez’s contributions to The Sound of the Collective Pen: A Poetry Anthology by Emerging Voices reached #1 on Amazon in two categories: New Releases in Poetry Anthologies and Bestsellers in Diversity & Multicultural Poetry.
Montez was honored to share this Amazon Bestselling Author distinction with 44 poets representing five nations, celebrating a collective achievement that amplified diverse voices across the global literary community.
In April 2023, the Library of Congress selected Standing in the Shadows of Freedom for preservation in its U.S. Programs, Law, and Literature Division. This recognition affirms the cultural and historical value of the work, ensuring that Montez’s voice and contributions to contemporary poetry will be accessible to future generations of readers, researchers, and scholars.
Nicole Lanier Montez’s work permanently cataloged at Poets House in New York City, securing her place within one of the nation’s most respected literary archives. This recognition affirms the lasting value of her voice and ensures that her contributions to contemporary poetry remain accessible to readers, researchers, and poetry lovers for generations to come.
Honors and Awards:
Amazon Bestselling Author,2025
LitStar Book Awards-Collection of Poetry; Standing in the Shadows of Freedom, 2024
Executive Citation, Baltimore County, Maryland, 2012
Certificate of Recognition, Baltimore City Mayor's office, Maryland, 2012
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