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Amanda Gorman’s Favorite Poets and Artists
Poet Gorman stole the show at Joe Biden’s inauguration. Here are her influences.
Published on November 9, 2022
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
Audre LordeAmanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, is very clear where her influences lie. “Sister Outsider” takes a hard look at intersectional feminism through the essays and speeches of leading feminist and civil rights activist Audre Lorde. Gorman said it was one of her “all-time favorite books” in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
Neon Vernacular: New and Selected Poems
Yusef KomunyakaaYusef Komunyakaa was the first poet Gorman listed as a primary inspiration to carry on a rich legacy of Black poets in an interview with Michelle Obama for TIME. “Neon Vernacular,” which is primarily about the Vietnam War, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1994.
The Poems of Phillis Wheatley: With Letters and a Memoir
Phillis WheatleyAnother Black poet Gorman draws inspiration from is the legendary Phillis Wheatley, who was kidnapped at a young age and became a slave to a New England family. As the first published African American poet, her works on morality, religion, and various other topics are widely studied and lauded.
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Billie EilishThe young Gorman has nothing but respect for fellow Gen Z phenom Billie Eilish. “I find Billie Eilish’s lyricism to be so sharp and striking,” Gorman told Harper’s Bazaar. Learn some of Eilish’s biggest Grammy-winning hits yourself with this sheet music for her debut album.
Lorde - Pure Heroine
LordeLorde’s lyricism also impresses Gorman. At just 16-years-old, Lorde created the pop classic “Royals”; it only took her a half hour to write the lyrics tearing down a life of luxury. Learn how to play “Royals” and “Ribs” with this official sheet music of Lorde’s debut album.
Not Without Laughter
Langston HughesHarlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes received a shout-out from Gorman in her list of poems about perseverance for Document Journal. Hughes’ semi-autobiographical novel details the coming-of-age of Sandy, a Black boy growing up in 1910s Kansas.
Sources
- ‘The power of voice’: Amanda Gorman selects 7 poems of perseverance
- 2020, Document Journal
- Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman on Her Style and Cultural Influences
- 2021, Harper’s Bazaar