Nelson is lyric and narrative poet who writes for adults, children, and young adults. Nelson began writing poems that engaged with domestic and women’s issues, while she also explored religious themes and social indignities, including the challenges of travel as a member of a diverse population. As a writer of African-American heritage, she has written extensively about her own family’s history, the trauma of slavery, and contemporary racism. Her poetry written for young adults about notable African American figures, such as Emmett Till and George Washington Carver, has received numerous accolades. Nelson is not married to a single audience or style, writing in free verse and in rhymed forms. The musicality of her language is universally noted by critics, as is her sensitivity to the human condition. Her literary heroes include significant African-American poets such as Countee Cullen, Lawrence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Nelson is also noted for her work with younger writers of color, particularly through Soul Mountain, a poetry retreat which she founded in 2002. She has collaborated with other significant African-American female poets, including Elizabeth Alexander.