Oct 11 Watch 3:02 How poetry helps this young Afghan refugee ’empty’ her pains and share her dreams By Rawan Elbaba, Student Reporting Labs October 11 is the International Day of the Girl. Tonight, we hear from one girl, a young Afghan poet, who left her country a few years ago with her family for security reasons. Aryan Ashory now lives in a refugee… Continue watching
Mar 29 A poem on how the human spirit survives overlapping crises By Joshua Barajas In Dr. Fady Joudah’s poem “House of Mercury,” a severe summer storm has blown over Houston. The poem is a tribute to the "beauty of the human spirit."… Continue reading
Mar 22 Watch 6:01 How one doctor’s love for poetry helps him communicate with patients better By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport As a part of our Arts and Culture series, CANVAS, Jeffrey Brown takes a look at the intersection of the alchemy of health and art with his profile of Fady Joudah, the physician-poet — or perhaps poet-physician. Continue watching
Mar 02 Watch 2:46 Poet Tess Taylor on how verse can provide solace For many, it's a time of uncertainty and isolation. But in poet Tess Taylor's humble opinion, turning to verse can provide solace. Her recent book of poems is "Rift Zone," and the following essay is part of our arts and… Continue watching
Feb 07 WATCH: Amanda Gorman, in a first, brings poetry to Super Bowl By Jake Coyle, Associated Press Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old poet who stirred America at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden last month, again commanded the spotlight on one of the country’s biggest stages, the Super Bowl. Continue reading
Jan 21 Amanda Gorman’s poetic answer to pandemic grief: ‘Do not ignore the pain’ By Joshua Barajas When Amanda Gorman wrote her poem, “The Miracle of Morning,” it was early on in the coronavirus pandemic. Even then, she wanted to acknowledge the promise of healing, like the light of morning, that springs from despair. Continue reading
Jan 20 WATCH: Amanda Gorman reads inauguration poem, ‘The Hill We Climb’ By Joshua Barajas After Biden was sworn in as the nation’s 46th president, Gorman read “The Hill We Climb,” building on a tradition of poets -- including Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Alexander and Richard Blanco -- who have read for incoming Democratic… Continue reading
Nov 30 In writing her first novel, this poet turned to her high school journal By Courtney Vinopal A poem taken from Elizabeth Acevedo's high school journal served as the “North Star” for her debut novel's voice. Continue reading
Nov 29 Poet uses runaway slave ads to tell a story of resistance By Connie Kargbo, Lisa Overton St. Mary's College of Maryland unveiled a new memorial this month honoring the lives of enslaved people of southern Maryland, including some who lived on the very land their campus is on. Seattle-based poet and educator Quenton Baker contributed poetry… Continue reading
Nov 27 A poem that extends a hand in our lonely times By Joshua Barajas Throughout the year’s pain and distress caused by the pandemic, people have connected with the core theme of loneliness in Elizabeth Acevedo’s poem. Yet the final, gentle moment, set inside a nail salon, is one of reaching out, and having… Continue reading