KC Pen is a spoken word poet born in Miami and raised in New York. Writing became his outlet growing up as a means to express himself and escape the stresses of his household. He flirted with poetry a bit during high school but officially started performing in 2015 at SUNY New Paltz as a member of the collective Urban Lyrics. After college, he spent two years performing in Atlanta at venues such as Apache Cafe and Urban Grind before returning to Miami in 2020. After years of searching for community across South Florida’s open mic scene, KC found his creative home with Miami Poetry Club in 2023. Through this network, he met Crystal Espinosa, and in 2025 they co-founded Pop-Up Poetry MIA, a bi-monthly event series that blends poetry, music, cocktails, and community across unique Miami locations. When KC isn’t working on poetry he’s teaching and coaching the youth in North Miami.