poetry

Poet Amanda Gorman performs "The Hill We Climb" during the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Books
Arts

After Inaugural Performance, Poet Amanda Gorman Tops The Amazon Bestseller List

12:48pm January 21, 2021

by Petra Mayer

Gorman's debut poetry collection and an illustrated kids' book are first and second on the list — on the strength of pre-orders, since both titles won't be out until September.

Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden.

Books
Arts

A Different Day: A 2021 Poetry Preview, Part 2

10:00am January 21, 2021

Poetry helps us express feelings that don't fit neatly into sentences; confusion and fear but also hope and joy. Here's the second installment of our look ahead at the most exciting poetry of 2021.

Poet Amanda Gorman speaks at the inauguration of U.S. President Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

'Not Broken But Simply Unfinished': Poet Amanda Gorman Calls For A Better America

3:42pm January 20, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

The 22-year-old composed a poem, "The Hill We Climb," that acknowledges the recent insurrection attempt, but turns resolutely toward hope. "The new dawn blooms," she writes.

Books
Arts

Glimmers Of Hope: A 2021 Poetry Preview, Part 1

2:09pm January 11, 2021

This year, critic Craig Morgan Teicher says American poetry has become too big for just one person to cover, so he's invited five colleagues to bring their own perspectives to our 2021 poetry preview.

Books
Arts

Poetry Escapes The Beauty Bind In 'Wound From The Mouth Of A Wound'

6:27am December 28, 2020

by Jeevika Verma

In her debut collection, poet torrin a. greathouse explores what it means to be both trans and disabled, and the ways beauty can be a trap for trans women — so why not write towards ugliness?

Queue Listen Now

With countless lights, Christmassy illuminated man-high trees and reindeer decorate the entrance of a shop

Arts

Opinion: T'was The Night Before Christmas in 2020

8:00am December 19, 2020

by Scott Simon

With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, NPR's Scott Simon updates "A Visit from St. Nicholas" for 2020.

Irish poet William Butler Yeats circa 1920.

Arts

Opinion: Reading William Butler Yeats 100 Years Later

8:00am November 28, 2020

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on what a 100 year-old poem by William Butler Yeats means today.

The Voice of Sheila Chandra, by Kazim Ali

Books
Arts

'The Voice Of Sheila Chandra' Echoes Through Time And Space

10:00am October 18, 2020

by Jeevika Verma

Kazim Ali's new poetry collection was inspired by the story of Sheila Chandra, a well-known singer rendered voiceless by an incurable neurological condition.

From left: Deng Ge is a rap mogul who became a lockdown activist. Poet Sally Wen Mao Mao uses her art to express her anger about how Chinese people are being portrayed in the pandemic. Writer and comic artist Laura Gao, living in the U.S., has a video cha

Health & Safety

How 3 Women From Wuhan Cope With COVID-19: Rap, Poetry And Mooncakes

1:06pm October 14, 2020

by NPR Special Report

We interview a rap mogul (turned community volunteer), an author focused on a nine-tailed fox and a grandmother with a sense of humor. They're part of our special report on women facing the pandemic.

Portraits Of Resilience: How 19 Women Around The Globe Face The Pandemic

6:13pm October 09, 2020

by NPR Special Report

Women often bear a heavier burden at times of crisis. They take care of the kids, the house, the survival of families. NPR photographed and interviewed 19 women over 3 weeks. Here are their stories.