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Amanda Gorman: Using your voice is a political choice

Part 3 of TED Radio Hour Episode The Artist's Voice

Poet Amanda Gorman has often been asked to write poems that aren't "political." In her 2018 TED Talk, she explains why her writing inherently carries messages greater than her words.

About Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman is the first youth poet laureate of the United States. She is best known for her performance of The Hill We Climb during the 2021 presidential inauguration.

Gorman published her first poetry collection at age 16 and has since performed at the Obama White House and for Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, Lin-Manuel Miranda, among others. In September 2021, she is set to debut her first children's novel, Change Sings.

Today, she writes for the New York Times newsletter, The Edit, and serves as a board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in America.

Gorman received her bachelors degree in sociology from Harvard University.

This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Janet W. Lee and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Manoush Zomorodi
Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.
Janet W. Lee
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Sanaz Meshkinpour
[Copyright 2024 NPR]