National Youth Poet Laureate

Last updated
The inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, performing at the Library of Congress. Amanda Gorman standing on stage at LOC - 2017.jpg
The inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, performing at the Library of Congress.

National Youth Poet Laureate is a title held in the United States by a young person who demonstrates skill in the arts, particularly poetry and/or spoken word, is a strong leader, is committed to social justice, and is active in civic discourse and advocacy. The title is awarded annually to one winner among four finalists, most of whom have been chosen as the Poet Laureate for their city or region. [2]

Contents

The national competition for Youth Poet Laureate is held in May at various distinguished locations, from the Library of Congress to the Kennedy Center, and is judged by a panel of poets and writers. In its seven years of existence, the award has been granted to seven teens: Amanda Gorman of Los Angeles in 2017, Patricia Frazier of Chicago in 2018, Kara Jackson of Chicago in 2019, Meera Dasgupta of New York City in 2020, Alexandra Huynh of San Francisco in 2021, Alyssa Gaines of Indianapolis in 2022, and Salome Agbaroji of Los Angeles in 2023. To date, every laureate has been female.

To be chosen as the National Youth Poet Laureate, young people who have served as Youth Poet Laureates in their own cities go through an in-depth application process that includes evaluation of their work, poetry and artistic skills, as well as their in-school and extracurricular activities. These activities collectively must show a desire and action to improve and engage their communities. [3] In addition to recognizing the talents of a young generation, the National Youth Poet Laureate program attempts to create spaces for young people to participate in political and cultural conversations of their time. During their year of holding the title of National Youth Poet Laureate, the poet attends events across the country doing readings and advocating for young people to participate in the expression of themselves and their generation through literature and poetry.

The title was then adopted by Japan in 2024 when the Prime Minister appointed Damarea Liao, the current Princess of Benin as the first Youth Poet Laureate to the country.

Founding

The National Youth Poet Laureate program was founded in 2016 by the Urban Word NYC organization, a youth program that provides opportunities for learning creative writing, poetry, spoken word, college prep, literature, and hip-hop, in order to support development and engagement among young adults. [4] The national program is co-sponsored by other local and national organizations that support youth literacy, including the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Academy of American Poets, Poetry Society of America, the Library of Congress, Cave Canem, and Youth Speaks. [5]

Urban Word NYC began its program alongside NYC Votes in 2009, after seeing young people get inspired and more involved in civic activity following the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president. [6] Their mission then spread to 50 other cities, states, and regions. In 2016, the organization partnered with the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities to make it a national title. [7]

The National Youth Poet Laureate is loosely connected to the United States Poet Laureate in that both are sponsored by the Library of Congress. However, the US Poet Laureate is chosen by the Librarian of Congress, rather than through a competition, serving a single one-year term. [8] The US Poet Laureate is an adult poet who writes for a more general audience, and advocates for the reading and awareness of poetry.

The National Youth Poet Laureate award is distinct from, and not associated with, the Young People's Poet Laureate, a title given by the Poetry Foundation to an adult who writes poetry for children. The Young People's Poet Laureate serves for two years, and recommends poetry for young people to teachers, librarians, and other educators each month. [9]

Ceremony

In awarding the National Youth Poet Laureate title, five finalists are selected from a pool of more than thirty-five applicants who serve as their respective city or regional Poet Laureate. In the spirit of National Poetry Month, the five finalists perform their poetry in a ceremonial reception at the Library of Congress in April. The finalists perform before a panel of judges. In 2018 and 2019, the panel included Juan Felipe Herrera, a former U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. Elizabeth Acevedo, the National Book Award Winner for 2018, was also among the panel of judges in 2019. [10]

The ceremony to announce the winner usually involves a few of the finalists reading poetry and appearances and speeches from notable poets. In 2017, finalists read with the 2018–2019 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jacqueline Woodson. [11] In 2018, finalists were introduced by American Book Prize winner Kimiko Hahn and four-time National Poetry Slam champion Patricia Smith. [12] In 2019, the event was hosted by poet Mahogany L. Browne. [13]

The Library of Congress records and archives the celebration and recognition ceremony of the awarded individual. [14]

Finalists and winners

YearFinalistHometown
2017 Amanda Gorman [15] Los Angeles, CA
Hajjar BabanDetroit, MI
Lagnajita MukhopadhyayNashville, TN
Nkosi NkululekoNew York, NY
Andrew WhiteHouston, TX
2018Patricia Frazier [16] Chicago, IL
Mila CudaLos Angeles, CA
Rukmini KalamangalamHouston, TX
William LohierNew York, NY
Cassidy MartinNashville, TN
2019 Kara Jackson [17] Chicago, IL
Jackson NealHouston, TX
Azura TyabjiSeattle, WA
Haviland Nona Gai WhitingNashville, TN
Maren Wright-KerrBaltimore, MD
2020 [18] Meera Dasgupta [19] New York, NY
Na FarrisAnn Arbor, MI
Taylor GensolinWeston, FL
Samuel GetachewOakland, CA
2021Alexandra Huynh [20] Sacramento, CA
Faye Harrison [21] Ann Arbor, MI
Selena YangNew York
Alora YoungNew Jersey
2022Alyssa Gaines [22] Indianapolis, Indiana
Elizabeth ShvartsNew York City
Isabella RamirezSouth Florida
Jessica KimLos Angeles
2023Salome Agbaroji [23] Los Angeles, CA
Charlotte YeungIndianapolis, IN
Cydney BrownPhiladelphia, PA
Aanika EragamAtlanta, GA

Amanda Gorman of Los Angeles was 19 when she was awarded the title of first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017. She writes about race, gender politics, growing up in Los Angeles and the changes the city has seen in her lifetime. [24] She attended Harvard University. [25] She became the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, reciting her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. [26]

Patricia Frazier of Chicago was 19 when she became the second National Youth Poet Laureate in 2018. [27] She writes about gentrification of Chicago, her childhood, her grandmother, and other issues affecting young queer and diverse people. [28] She attends Columbia College Chicago. [29]

Kara Jackson of Chicago was 19 when she became the third National Youth Poet Laureate in 2019. She writes about being on the cusp of childhood and adulthood and what it means to be a prison abolitionist. [30] She attends Smith College.

Meera Dasgupta of New York City was 16 when she became the fourth and the youngest National Youth Poet Laureate in 2020. She is an advocate for student voice and gender equality, having worked throughout the city on various projects in order to empower young women and to increase civic engagement within other students her age. [31]

Alexandra Huynh of Sacramento became the fifth National Youth Poet Laureate in 2021 at the age of 18. She writes about racial disparity and environmental change and its impact on people. She is a student at Stanford University. [32]

Alyssa Gaines of Indianapolis was 18 when she became the sixth National Youth Poet Laureate of 2022. A recent high school graduate, she attends Harvard University. [22] She has been engaged in poetry since grammar school. She writes about racial identity. The poet also won the Indiana Repertory Theater's Young Playwrights in Progress competition in 2020. [33]

Salome Agbaroji of Los Angeles became the seventh National Youth Poet Laureate in 2023. Her poems focus on home, family, and a mission to combat illiteracy by promoting equity and accessibility within educational systems. [34] She started as a freshman at Harvard University in fall 2023. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Armitage</span> English poet (born 1963)

Simon Robert Armitage is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Dove</span> American poet and author (born 1952)

Rita Frances Dove is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the position was created by an act of Congress in 1986 from the previous "consultant in poetry" position (1937–86). Dove also received an appointment as "special consultant in poetry" for the Library of Congress's bicentennial year from 1999 to 2000. Dove is the second African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, in 1987, and she served as the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. Since 1989, she has been teaching at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she held the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English from 1993 to 2020; as of 2020, she holds the chair of Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Wright (poet)</span> American writer; University of Virginia professor

Charles Wright is an American poet. He shared the National Book Award in 1983 for Country Music: Selected Early Poems and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for Black Zodiac. From 2014 to 2015, he served as the 20th Poet Laureate of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy K. Smith</span> American poet (born 1972)

Tracy K. Smith is an American poet and educator. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017 to 2019. She has published five collections of poetry, winning the Pulitzer Prize for her 2011 volume Life on Mars. Her memoir, Ordinary Light, was published in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay Ryan</span> American poet

Kay Ryan is an American poet and educator. She has published seven volumes of poetry and an anthology of selected and new poems. From 2008 to 2010 she was the sixteenth United States Poet Laureate. In 2011 she was named a MacArthur Fellow and she won the Pulitzer Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy Harjo</span> American Poet Laureate

Joy Harjo is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to have served three terms. Harjo is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and belongs to Oce Vpofv. She is an important figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, completed her undergraduate degree at University of New Mexico in 1976, and earned an MFA degree at the University of Iowa in its creative writing program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqueline Woodson</span> American writer (born 1963)

Jacqueline Woodson is an American writer of books for children and adolescents. She is best known for Miracle's Boys, and her Newbery Honor-winning titles Brown Girl Dreaming, After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. After serving as the Young People's Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, she was named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, by the Library of Congress, for 2018 to 2019. Her novel Another Brooklyn was shortlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction. She won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2018. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Trethewey</span> American poet (born 1966)

Natasha Trethewey is an American poet who served as United States Poet Laureate from 2012 to 2014. She won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for her 2006 collection Native Guard, and is a former Poet Laureate of Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ada Limón</span> American writer (born 1976)

Ada Limón is an American poet. On July 12, 2022, she was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States by the Librarian of Congress. This made her the first Latina to be Poet Laureate of the United States. She is married to Lucas Marquardt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Nelson</span> American poet, translator, and childrens book author (born 1946)

Marilyn Nelson is an American poet, translator, biographer, and children's book author. She is a professor emeritus at the University of Connecticut, and the former Poet Laureate of Connecticut. She is a winner of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature, and the Frost Medal. From 1978 to 1994, she published under the name Marilyn Nelson Waniek. She is the author or translator of more than twenty books and five chapbooks of poetry for adults and children. While most of her work deals with historical subjects, in 2014 she published a memoir, named one of NPR's Best Books of 2014, entitled How I Discovered Poetry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Poet Laureate</span> Official poet of the United States

The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate, serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry. The position was modeled on the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom. Begun in 1937, and formerly known as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, the present title was devised and authorized by an Act of Congress in 1985. Appointed by the Librarian of Congress, the poet laureate's office is administered by the Center for the Book. For children's poets, the Poetry Foundation awards the Young People's Poet Laureate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Gorman</span> American poet and activist (born 1998)

Amanda S. C. Gorman is an American poet, activist, and model. Her work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race and marginalization, as well as the African diaspora. Gorman was 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. She rose to fame in 2021 for writing and delivering her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration of Joe Biden. Gorman's inauguration poem generated international acclaim and shortly thereafter, two of her books achieved best-seller status, and she obtained a professional management contract.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Acevedo</span> American poet and author

Elizabeth Acevedo is an American poet and author. In September 2022, the Poetry Foundation named her the year's Young People's Poet Laureate.

Poet Laureate of Philadelphia is a civic position in the City of Philadelphia. The Poet Laureate has been described as an "Ambassador of Poetry". The holder of the position is expected to actively promote literacy and encourage expression in the city. As part of their position, they participate in service work, workshops and readings. One of their commitments is to mentor the Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia.

Shauntay Grant is a Canadian author, poet, playwright, and professor. Between 2009 and 2011, she served as the third poet laureate of Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is known for writing Africville, a children's picture book about a black community by the same name that was razed by the city of Halifax in the 1960s. "Africville" was nominated for a 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award. The book also won the 2019 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, and was among 13 picture books listed on the United States Board on Books for Young People's 2019 USBBY Outstanding International Books List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hill We Climb</span> Poem by Amanda Gorman

"The Hill We Climb" is a spoken word poem written by American poet Amanda Gorman and recited by her at the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2021. The poem was written in the weeks following the 2020 United States presidential election, with significant passages written on the night of January 6, 2021, in response to the storming of the United States Capitol. Gorman was twenty-two years old when she recited the poem, making her the youngest inaugural poet ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley M. Jones</span> American poet

Ashley Michelle Jones is an American poet and activist. She is the first Black Poet Laureate of Alabama (2022–2026) and the youngest person to hold this position. She is the Associate Director of the University Honors Program at UAB and a Core faculty member at Converse University’s MFA Program. Her poetry explores the impact the Deep South has on Black individuals and aspires to expose Black stories that were left behind due to Alabama’s historical enslavement of Black men and women. She is the author of three books: Magic City Gospel, dark//thing, and Reparations Now!.

Kara Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, musician, essayist and poet. She was the third U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate from 2019 and 2020.

The Poet Laureate of Minnesota is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Minnesota.

References

  1. ↑ National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman reads her poem, "In This Place (An American Lyric)," at the inaugural reading of Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith., July 2017, retrieved 2019-11-09
  2. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Finalists Read with Jacqueline Woodson at the Poetry Foundation". Poetry Foundation. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  3. ↑ "The National Youth Poet Laureate". Poetry Society of America. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  4. ↑ "National Youth Poets". poets.org. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  5. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate". National Youth Poet Laureate. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Kara Jackson Is The Multi-hyphenate College Student Changing How We Look At Poetry". Bustle. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  7. ↑ "Amanda Gorman Named National Youth Poet Laureate". Poets & Writers. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  8. ↑ "About the Position of Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry (The Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  9. ↑ "Naomi Shihab Nye Named Young People's Poet Laureate". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  10. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate". National Youth Poet Laureate. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  11. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Celebration - March 15, 2018". blogMLIS. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  12. ↑ "Amanda Gorman Named National Youth Poet Laureate". Poets & Writers. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  13. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  14. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
  15. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Finalists Read with Jacqueline Woodson at the Poetry Foundation". Poetry Foundation. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  16. ↑ "National Youth Poets". poets.org. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  17. ↑ "National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  18. ↑ "2020 Anthology and Videos". National Youth Poet Laureate. Urban Word. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "2020 NATIONAL YOUTH POET LAURETE MEERA DASGUPTA". National Youth Poet Laureate. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "Alexandra Huynh". National Youth Poet Laureate | Curated by Urban Word. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  21. ↑ Bruckner, Meredith (2021-05-20). "Ann Arbor teen finalist in 2021 National Youth Poet Laureate Program". WDIV. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  22. 1 2 "Alyssa Gaines is named National Youth Poet Laureate". NPR.org.
  23. ↑ "Philly native named 2023 regional youth poet laureate". phillytrib.com. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  24. ↑ "Amanda Gorman Named National Youth Poet Laureate". Poets & Writers. 2017-04-27. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  25. ↑ Hawgood, Alex (2017-11-03). "How Amanda Gorman Became the Nation's First Youth Poet Laureate". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  26. ↑ "Amanda Gorman: Inauguration poet calls for 'unity and togetherness'". BBC News. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  27. ↑ "Harriet: Patricia Frazier". Poetry Foundation. 2019-11-23. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  28. ↑ Steinkopf-Frank, Hannah (20 June 2018). "Get to know National Youth Poet Laureate Patricia Frazier". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  29. ↑ "Student Patricia Frazier Named National Youth Poet Laureate". www.colum.edu. May 31, 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  30. ↑ "Kara Jackson Is The Multi-hyphenate College Student Changing How We Look At Poetry". Bustle. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  31. ↑ "2020 National Youth Poet Laureate Meera Dasgupta". National Youth Poet Laureate. Urban Word. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  32. ↑ "Incoming frosh named 2021 National Youth Poet Laureate". 16 August 2021.
  33. ↑ "Indianapolis native, National Youth Poet Laureate finalist builds bridges through poetry".
  34. 1 2 "Salome Agbaroji". National Youth Poet Laureate | Curated by Urban Word. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.