Like so many others, I was in awe of Amanda Gorman last week during Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony. Her poem “The Hill We Climb” was phenomenal and inspiring — it made me hopeful for the future. Gorman’s poise and presentation stole the show, solidifying her position as a powerful new voice the world needs to take note of — and celebrate.
Gorman’s rise to prominence has me thinking about a story I produced a while back for the daily news journal National Geographic Today. Our short feature highlighted spoken-word artists performing at the National Poetry Slam. The competition was held in Seattle that year.
Spoken word poetry is a full contact sport. It seeks to engage audiences on a search for truth. Writers, performers, and poets aim to share valuable lessons to heal what’s broken — in themselves and our society.
I remember this piece fondly — it’ll always be one of my favorite projects. Thank you to the poets who shared their words and wisdom, my EP Mark Nelson who let me run with it and do something different, and DP Geoff Nelson and editor Holly Markle for their help with the look and feel of the piece.
