In debut poetry collection, Amanda Gorman looks at America today through its past
The youngest presidential inaugural poet writes about how looking at our history tells us what our bodies are made of – and of how collective memory of strength re-energizes us in our darkest moments.
How does a person's history intersect with that of a community? And what can a communal past teach us about survival, love, and carrying it all forward?
In her debut collection Call Us What We Carry, Amanda Gorman, who this year — at 22 — became the youngest ever presidential inaugural poet, reckons with America's present, particularly with the pandemic. Through the lens of the country's history, she shows us the path toward healing.
The book's introductory poem asks, "& what exactly are we supposed to be doing?"
