Heavily influenced by the raw work of Sylvia Plath and Maya Angelou, Ava Lombardo is a sixteen-year-old poet and novelist from Ohio, whose work serves as a fearless survival arc through maternal grief and the reclaiming of girlhood. A prolific voice for her generation, Ava is the author of four books, including the poetry collections Words Tucked Away, Fragments of You, and her latest, Pure. Out May 1, 2026.