Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman (born 1998) is an American poet and activist from Los Angeles, California. Gorman's work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman is the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate. She published the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough in 2015.

Amanda Gorman
in 2017
Born1998 (age 21–22)
Alma materHarvard University
OccupationPoet

Biography

Amanda Gorman is a Los Angeles native who was raised by her mother, a teacher named Joan Wicks, with her two siblings.[1][2][3][4] Gorman has a twin sister named Gabrielle who is an activist.[4][5] Gorman has said she grew up in an environment with limited television access.[6] She had a speech impediment when she was young.[6][7] She has described her young self as a "weird child" who enjoyed reading and writing, and was encouraged by her mother.[1] Gorman has said she has an auditory processing disorder and is hypersensitive to sound.[1]

Gorman said she was inspired to become a youth delegate for the United Nations in 2013 after watching a speech by Pakistani Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai.[8] Gorman was chosen as the youth poet laureate of Los Angeles in 2014.[9] Gorman published the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough in 2015.[10]

Gorman was a student at Harvard University when she became the first person to be named national youth poet laureate in April 2017.[1][11][12] She was chosen from five finalists.[13]

Gorman is the founder of a non-profit organization called One Pen One Page, which runs a youth writing and leadership program.[14] In 2017, she became first youth poet to open the literary season for the Library of Congress and has read her poetry on MTV.[6][12] In New York City, the Morgan Library and Museum acquired her poem “In This Place (An American Lyric)” and put it on display in 2018 near works by Elizabeth Bishop.[6] In 2017, Amanda Gorman became the first author to be featured on XQ Institute's Book of the Month, a monthly giveaway to share inspiring Gen Z's favorite books.

In 2017, Gorman said she wants to run for president in 2036.[15][16]

Her art and activism focus on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora.[11][17]

References
  1. "A Young Poet's Inspiration". The New York Times. 2018-02-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  2. "Harvard Sophomore Chosen as First Youth Poet Laureate | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  3. "Meet Amanda Gorman, the L.A. Native Who Is the First National Youth Poet Laureate ~ L.A. TACO". L.A. TACO. 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  4. "Meet the First Youth Poet Laureate". NBC Learn. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  5. Rodriguez-Cayro, Kyli. "These Twin Sisters Have A Powerful Message About Making Sure Your Resistance Includes All Women". Bustle. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  6. Hawkins, Khaliha. "America's First Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman on the Power of Young Women". Glamour. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  7. Gorman, Amanda (2014-11-21). "How Poetry Gave Me a Voice". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  8. "How Amanda Gorman Became the Nation's First Youth Poet Laureate". The New York Times. 2017-11-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  9. "Mentoring the Next Generation of L.A. Letters". KCET. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  10. "A young poet for whom words are not enough - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  11. "A Coda to Black History Month". The New York Times. 2018-02-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  12. "Harvard's Amanda Gorman first youth poet to open Library of Congress literary season - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  13. Charles, Ron (2017-09-14). "New U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith reports for duty". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  14. "Gender Letter: All the Poetry That's Fit to Print". The New York Times. 2018-04-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  15. "Americas First Youth Poet Laureate Also Wants to Run For President In 2036!". Essence.com. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  16. "America's 20-year-old youth poet laureate won't let 'small-minded prejudice' stop her". Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  17. Petronzio, Matt. "Watch the first-ever U.S. youth poet laureate perform a stunning poem about social change". Mashable. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
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