Have You Met Amanda Gorman?
art by Frankie Fanelli
Who is Amanda Gorman?
The 22-year-old poet and activist grew up in Los Angeles with her mother and two siblings. Gorman’s mother, Joan Wicks, was a teacher and encouraged her children to actively read and write. This led the young artist to discover her passion for poetry at a very young age. By the age of 16, Gorman had served as a youth delegate for the United Nations and was quickly named the Youth Poet Laureate for the city of Los Angeles. Gorman published her first collection, “The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough”, in 2015 and continued to foster her talent at Harvard University as a sociology major. In 2017, the poet was chosen by the Library of Congress to be the first National Youth Poet Laureate - out of five of the United States’ most talented writers.
Gorman has an auditory processing disorder and had a speed impediment as a child, but feels that they have aided in her success as a poet. As she tells The Los Angeles Times, “I don’t look at my disability as a weakness… It’s made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be. When you have to teach yourself how to say sounds, when you have to be highly concerned about pronunciation, it gives you a certain awareness of sonics, of the auditory experience.” No matter the obstacle, Gorman continues to write and perform pieces centered around the issues of oppression, marginalization, racial divides, women’s issues, and the African Diaspora.
As of January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman can add “youngest inaugural poet” to her long list of accomplishments. During Joe Biden’s inaugural ceremony, the Youth Poet Laureate performed her poem, “The Hill We Climb”, which can be read and viewed here. Tasked with conveying the urgency for national unity and addressing the vast issues facing Americans, Gorman admitted to The New York Times that she worried her poem would not live up to the occasion. “What I really aspire to do in this poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal,” the poet explained. “... in a way that is not erasing or neglecting the harsh truths I think America needs to reconcile with.” Despite her reservations, Gorman delivered an incredibly powerful performance on January 20. “The Hill We Climb” addressed the white supremacists that stormed the Capitol on January 6 and the struggles of marginalized Americans, highlighting her own perspective as a “skinny Black girl, descended from slaves and raised by a single mother.” Gorman preached unity and accountability, and effectively moved audiences present and at home.
During her appearance, Amanda Gorman wore a ring with a caged bird, referencing Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and a gift from Oprah Winfrey. The gift was certainly deserved.
Still, Gorman’s accomplishments do not end with the inauguration. The Youth Poet Laureate has also spoken at the Obama White House, as well as performed for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and other notable figures. She has written for the New York Times and Nike’s 2020 Black History Month campaign, among her own publications of astounding works. Gorman has furthermore been recognized by distinguished organizations such as YoungArts, Scholastic Inc., and the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards. Not to mention, she has been awarded with the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award and is the youngest member on the board of 826 National, an esteemed writing network for creatives in the United States.
In September, we can expect two new works from the National Youth Poet Laureate, both published by Penguin Random House. She will debut her poetry collection, “The Hill We Climb”, named after her inaugural poem and centered around themes of “hope and healing”. The poet will also add “children’s author” to her resume with her publication of “Change Sings”. The picture book is illustrated by Loren Long, also the illustrator of Barack Obama’s children’s book “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters”, and will emphasize the power of words and voices to America’s youth.
