Why National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s Books Are Already Selling Out
It’s rare that a poet makes national news headlines, but a poet as remarkable as Amanda Gorman is even rarer. After she made us all weep with the incredible reading of her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, the world clamored for more, asking: Who is Amanda Gorman?
Named the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, the Los Angeles native and Harvard graduate apparently wrote part of her powerful poem late at night on January 6th, the day the U.S. Capitol was invaded by insurrectionists. Gorman describes herself as a poet and activist, and her moving inauguration poem challenged listeners to acknowledge inequality and work together to end it. For more on how to fight racial injustice, check out this guide to becoming anti-racist.
She wrote, “It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit/It’s the past we step into and how we repair it.”
Her words captured and acknowledged the grief and loss of the past year, whilst also expressing a deep hope and faith for the future, and the endless potential of a more united America. Find out how you can keep supporting the racial justice movement in your everyday life.
As Gorman spoke, the Internet erupted with praise, with prominent figures like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Stacey Abrams expressing their admiration on Twitter. Following her performance, Gorman’s forthcoming books are currently topping bestseller lists—and two of them haven’t even been released yet! Gorman shared her excitement on her Twitter account:
I AM ON THE FLOOR MY BOOKS ARE #1 & #2 ON AMAZON AFTER 1 DAY! Thank you so much to everyone for supporting me and my words. As Yeats put it: "For words alone are certain good: Sing, then"
— Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) January 20, 2021
Here’s the lowdown on the talented poet’s published work—and, you might also want to take a look at these other poems by Gorman, too.
The Hill We Climb: Poems
This book, the debut poetry collection from Amanda Gorman, includes the titular poem that she recited at the inauguration. Other poems included follow themes of hope and healing. Based on what we know of her work, we anticipate The Hill We Climb: Poems will be a powerful and inspiring reading experience. Although it’s not coming out until September 21st, you can pre-order the book right now.
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
This beautiful children’s book was created with drawings by Loren Long, the bestselling illustrator and artist who worked with Barack Obama on his children’s book Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters. Gorman’s book is an anthem to children, to inspire and teach them that they have the power to make both big and small changes in their communities, in themselves, and by extension, in the world. Change Sings will be released on September 21st, but is available for pre-order now.
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country
This special edition of Gorman’s beautiful inaugural poem marks the auspicious occasion. An Inaugural Poem for the Country is available right now in this memorial edition. Only 22 years old at the time, Gorman is the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a reading at a presidential inauguration. Her recitation was one of the highlights of the ceremony, and her words will live on as an inspiration to us all to keep striving for a better and more equal society.
We can’t wait to see more of Amanda Gorman’s work in the future. Next, check out this list of essential books for understanding race relations in America.
Sources:
The Guardian: The Hill We Climb: the Amanda Gorman poem that stole the inauguration show
The Guardian: How Amanda Gorman became the face of a new American era
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