Alexandra Couts, Ph.D., is a Portuguese-American writer, experimental poet, producer, and songwriter with over 14 years of experience as an editor and publisher. Her extensive background reflects a multifaceted engagement with literature, music, and creative expression.
Alexandra began her academic journey in 2005 at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Nova University of Lisbon, where she obtained a B.A. in Portuguese and Lusophone Studies (2009), an M.A. in Editing and Publishing (2011), and a Ph.D. in History and Theory of Ideas (2018). Her academic achievements include her master’s thesis, Herberto Helder, Cobra, Dispersão Poética, and her doctoral dissertation, A Poesia Toda ou Os Poemas Completos: Variantes, e Práticas Textuais em Herberto Helder, both of which emphasize her expertise in textual and poetic studies.
During her academic career, Alexandra wrote and translated poetry, published poetry collections, and contributed to literary and academic journals. Her commitment to creative innovation led her to explore visual poetry and establish Mecanismo Humano, an independent publishing project she founded in 2011 to support experimental works.
In 2024, Alexandra founded the Inner Tide music project, seamlessly integrating her literary and musical talents. Since its inception, she has released seven albums, combining experimental soundscapes with lyrically driven compositions. Her work—both in poetry and music—frequently addresses complex and socially charged themes such as discrimination, misogyny, child abuse, poverty, abandonment, and domestic violence.
Through her art, Alexandra actively advocates for the causes she holds dear, including human rights, animal rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, environmental protection, and access to education. She hopes to inspire awareness and foster meaningful dialogue through her words, challenging societal norms and encouraging reflection.
Alexandra’s poetry is unflinchingly raw and unapologetically honest. Often designed to provoke and unsettle, her writing resists traditional notions of beauty and sentimentality. Rejecting the idea that poetry should be “roses and sugar,” she refuses to sugarcoat the harsh realities she portrays, embracing a visceral and unfiltered approach to exploring the human condition.
Her artistic vision is deeply influenced by her academic and personal pursuits, drawing on literature, philosophy, history, music, cinema, photography, painting, spiritualism, and technology. Her work is characterized by bold explorations of human experience, with themes of eroticism and expressionism playing a significant role in her creative output.