American poet-author Jacqueline Woodson is most known for her Newbery and National Book Award winning verse memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming. Born in the American South in Columbus, Ohio, Woodson's work spans themes like childhood, girlhood, coming-of-age as a young African American in America. "on paper" is a poem about empowerment, as the young speaker reminisces on the agency and possibility she felt, writing her full name for the first time.