>> Chicago >> has a new poet laureate.

My the Alexander, though, by is a poet, educator and interdisciplinary artist born and raised on the city's south side.

Chicago's second poet laureate might've will commission new works in create public programming.

The poet laureate who receive $70,000 over a two-year term also serves as an ambassador for the city's literary and creative communities.

Joining us now is the Chicago poet laureate herself.

Might Alexander go value.

Congratulations.

Thank you for joining Thank you for having me.

So born and raised on the South side, how do you think your identity and being raised in Chicago influenced your approach to writing poetry Gosh, it's so much at the center of my work and >> so much of what I I write about is about that.

You I think growing up Puerto Rican on, you know, the first generation born here.

My mom and dad came when when they were very young and usually what we hear about the Puerto Rican communities is centered in Humble park.

So growing up in the South side is very, very different.

Growing up in a city that's some racially really segregated as well and kind of growing up in a racial middle is is something that, you know, really shaped my perspective in my experiences as well.

The language, the culture, just all the things that I would grow up, you know, seeing and hearing my household on a daily basis really shaped my writing in there at the center of area.

And I listen to a little bit of your work as well because, you know, you also sort of identify sort for Latino, right and acknowledging the African roots that are tonight.

Yeah, being part of the desk a yeah.

Definitely.

After a descendant and >> and acknowledging those routes and try to be aware of them.

And, you know, also aware of the privilege that I that I carry as well.

But that's that's part of what's in my work hard.

he was well, yeah, second person to be named the city's poet laureate.

What does it mean to you and how do you plan on using the position?

gosh, I really hope to just >> steward poetry and into the city known to be of service to the city continue the work that Avery Young started.

He created some amazing program.

So >> I really hope to continue some of the work that he started in terms of taking poetry out to the city of having opportunities for people to come together and write together about their experiences.

Their stories in the city working together with the public library is also really exciting.

That was a, you know, really important to me as a as a young writer and growing up the library was somewhere that I was went 2 for as kind of like a refuge and to just find books that I you know what to swallow them up every weekend.

So I'm really excited about supporting their programming and creating some of my own as well.

Where would you say you get some of your your performance style last year's eve there?

A lot of different people.

I was talking to someone about that earlier today.

I would say.

>> I grew as a child of of the hip-hop generation in the 90's.

So that really in Chicago.

So that is yeah, there's specific very specific.

Also works into mice.

That you know, growing up listening to some some music, 70 salsa music, Sonia Sanchez, I'm a Barack a summit.

yes, that is the new year weekend poets from from that movement in New York City as well.

So Williams is someone else that influenced a lot of people and that area of port trees.

So I think that's, you know, also an influence from ISIS.

Lot of fingerprints.

I guess you could say my work.

Yeah.

Just a minute ago, we're looking at second ago.

We're looking at you performing on Poetry Jam.

I got in the day.

Yeah.

So what do you think?

Makes Chicago's poetry scene unique compared to like other big cities, New York l a we've also live.

Yeah, you know, I we don't always get credit for for the things that we create, you know, and for how are really incubator for.

>> A lot of different artists.

I think we're in a unique position.

We're PM people can come to Chicago and they can kind of experiment and play with style and be influenced by the different things in the city.

You know, where the home of the poetry slam the plan was created here in Chicago.

Other cities get credit for kind of, you know, making a little bit bigger.

But it was born here in Chicago.

I think, you know, we have we come from a city that has a literary tradition that's really rooted everyday working people.

>> Expressing their thoughts, opinions and stories.

I think that's really like at the heart of Chicago's lit scene.

So I'm really proud to represent >> Among your accomplishments, he performed at the Obama White House invitation of former president and former first lady.

What was that like for It was pretty amazing my I was pretty blown away by, you know, getting the invitation.

But I think, though, the coolest part of that night was being able to take my mom and me and the palm that I read was about my grandmother and her mom.

And, you know, there was a grandmother living in the White House at that at that time.

So that was Robinson was still yes, yes, we >> So it was really poignant and really moving to be able to 2 read that poem about my grandmother.

And, you know, have the first lady there sitting next to her mom daughters.

generations represented there.

You know.

So that was I think that was like the most.

Very important part.

Yeah, especially You've got your first event as poet laureate this week Wednesday.

Yes.

What can people expect I'm going to be reading some new work own that I created this part of my residency through elastic arts.

So the work is about being Puerto Rican, Chicago surprise of having to have some musical accompaniment as well.

Just going to kind of show the range things that I do and really excited to have Chicago in the House and and say hi to everybody.

Yeah, What think poetry still so relevant.

I think.

>> At this particular moment in time.

I've always taught us about poetry.

I think that poetry is one of the few art forms with people a certain level of truth and honesty in their from the writer and poetry also demands truth honesty from that listen to it right at the man's is to to thank about how we feel about, you know, the things that come up for But it's also it's a time when we need people to to tell the truth and to to speak the truth about the things that we're seeing, the things that are happening in the world and, you know, Chicago winds, we've seen a lot these last couple of months.

so I think that it's it's an art form that we really need at this time to demand truth about the way that we're feeling in the world and what we can hope to create in the future.

And the city has a new poet laureate to deliver Congrats again tonight ago by a thank you so much for joining Thank you having me.

Of course.

>> And my to Alexander Go first event as Chicago poet laureate will take place this Wednesday evening from 6 to 7.30, at the Chicago And we're to wrap things up right after this.

>> Reflecting the people perspectives that make can