In this episode, guest host Isabel Silagy discusses Amanda Gorman’s latest body of work, Call Us What We Carry, in celebration of National Poetry Month. Gorman, who performed at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration, is widely considered to be the poetic voice of her generation. With this latest collection of her poems, it is easy to see why.
Call Us What We Carry conveys both grief for the past, specifically in the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic, and hope for the future. Gorman uses her emotive prose to capture the attention and heart of her readers, and Call Us What We Carry has cemented her as a force in the literary world for many years to come.
To celebrate National Poetry Month or simply a love of books, be sure to check out the Los Angeles Times’ Festival of Books on Saturday, April 23–Sunday, April 24. Held on the University of Southern California campus, the festival will host a series of interactive panels with exciting guests, including Gorman herself. You can find all of the relevant information on the festival, tickets, and transportation at events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.
New episodes of LIT at the Beach air every Tuesday. Be sure to link, comment, and follow The Daily Forty-Niner on your favorite platform and look out for our special coverage on the Festival of Books!