Modified From Our February Newsletter.
At just 22-years-old, Amanda Gorman, an American poet and activist, has suddenly risen to fame for her heart-stringing words as a protégée who advocates for topics like feminism, race, and marginalization. Today, she turns 23 years of age.
In early 2017, Gorman spoke to New York Times and said, “I want to create poems that stand the test of time and counter the fragmented news culture of today.”
Gorman did just that as on January 20th, 2021, she stood on a stage where over 33.8 million people watched her live performing “The Hill We Climb,” and became the youngest inaugural poet to step stage on a Presidential Inauguration.
The world was moved by her speech as she inspired hope and a sense of purpose at a moment when Americans are suffering from a pandemic and political violence.
This inauguration allowed for her name to be globally recognized and gain much greater traction over her past, present, and future groundbreaking work.
“Poetry is typically the touchstone that we go back to when we have to remind ourselves of the history that we stand on, and the future that we stand for,” said Gorman to the New York Times following her on-stage performance.
However, even before January 20th, 2021, Amanda Gorman was already a well-established poet and recognized by several legendary figures like the Obamas, Oprah, and the Clintons.
In 2017, Gorman was even appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word—a program that supports Youth Poets Laureate in more than 60 cities, regions, and states nationally.
The following year, she published her first poetry collection, “The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough.” Continuing her publishing journey, in September, Viking Books for Young Readers will release her debut poetry collection, “The Hill We Climb,” which is aimed at teenage and adult readers and will include the inaugural poem. Her debut picture book, “Change Sings,” with illustrations by Loren Long, also comes out on the same day.
She’s a trailblazer who is inspired to make a change. She’s a poet who set the world on fire. She’s now known as the latest inspiring young artist of this renaissance. There’s no doubt that we will be seeing more of her in the coming years.
