One of the youngest poets to read at a presidential inauguration, Amanda Gorman found her way into the hearts, minds and consciousness of the American people (as well as the global community) when she read her stunning poem, “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” in January of this year.
Her power, cadence and confidence swept the world into her beautifully intertwined words and sensational confidence. The 22-year-old poet and activist creates work that exudes powerful messages that reveal her concern and the path forward towards environmental justice and racial and gender equality.
The Harvard graduate was born in Los Angeles, California and has experienced an illustrious career as a writer catching the attention of the Obama’s, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Malala Yousafzai and a number of influential world-changers which ultimately led her to read her work on the world stage and garner a platform that people her age (and writers of any age) only dream about attaining.
The March 2021 release of her book “The Hill We Climb” became an instant bestseller, and in September, Gorman will be releasing a follow-up collection of poems entitled “The Hill We Climb and Other Poems.” The book promises to expand on her first collection offering more insight, more creativity and a profound outlook on the world that could only come from her own mind, vision and innate understanding of the world around her.
Gorman continues to lend her voice, which is sorely needed during times of civil unrest and confusion as America grapples with inequality and deep roots of racism, sexism and discrimination of underrepresented voices. “The Hill We Climb and Other Poems” will become a classic poetry collection as the years go by and move forward into an uncertain future. But one thing is for certain, Gorman has a gift and is fully capable of having a hand in creating a new world for generations to come.