1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: You and Me Both is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: I'm Hillary Clinton, and I am thrilled to be back 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: for season two of You and Me Both. You know, 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: a lot has happened since season one concluded, like an 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: insurrection on January six, and I had the chance to 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: talk about what it was like that day in the 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: Capital with speaker Nancy Pelosi for a bonus episode, and 8 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: on a much happier note, we celebrated the inauguration of 9 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: President Biden and Vice President Harris. Now, I have to 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: tell you I've been to every inauguration since and this 11 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: one just felt so special. It certainly was a lot 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: better than the one four years before, because there was 13 00:00:54,560 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: just a palpable feeling of relief and joy and hopefulness. 14 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: And part of why I think we all felt that 15 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: way is because of Amanda Gorman, the youngest presidential inaugural 16 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: poet in history. Let me tell you, when that young, vibrant, 17 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: charismatic woman walked to the front of the platform in 18 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: her bright yellow coat and that magnificent presence, I was thrilled. 19 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: And the poem itself titled The Hill We Climb, just 20 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: captured the moment, and there were a lot of lines 21 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: that have stayed with me. But here's one Stanza that 22 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: sums up the pain and the hope of the last 23 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: four years. Let the Globe, if nothing else, say this 24 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: is true that even as we grieved, we grew, that 25 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: even as we hurt, we hoped, that even as we tired, 26 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: we tried. So you can imagine my excitement that we 27 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: are starting this season by talking with Amanda. Not only 28 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: the youngest poet ever to read at an inauguration and 29 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: the first youth poet Laurette, she's the first poet to 30 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: perform at the Super Bowl, and of course, on a 31 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: personal note, she is someone with an enviable headband collection. Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello. 32 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: I was trying to figure out how to wear a 33 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: headband with my headset. I love it. How how are 34 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: you doing? I mean I have to start by just saying, Wow, 35 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: what a whirlwind couple of weeks this has been for you, Amanda. Yeah, Yeah, 36 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: it's been wild. I'm doing good. I think I'm like 37 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: on the third part of the wave of just like 38 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: it was literally like I feel like my life changed 39 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: in like six minutes basically, and so my body has 40 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: just been processing that and now I'm feeling like, Okay, 41 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: I've absorbed that it happened. Let's move forward. So yeah, 42 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: feeling very good. Well, you sure made a lot of 43 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: us feel very good. So, uh, it's mutually reinforcing. We 44 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: needed some you know, positive uplift and you know, a 45 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: new sense of as you said the other day and 46 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: that wonderful interview you did with Michelle Obama, unity with purpose. 47 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: We needed to come together not just for the sake 48 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: of coming together, but to try to figure out what's 49 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: the best way forward. And you know, when I saw 50 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: you and your mom on the platform at the at 51 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: the Capitol, it was just so exciting and it was revealing, uh, 52 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: the feelings that people had been bottled up that they 53 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: hadn't been able to express because we were all holding 54 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: our breath for four years. Yeah, what stood out to 55 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: you from that day because it was such a happy occasion, 56 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 1: even though it was under such odd circumstances, right right, Well, 57 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: the day was both a whirlwind and endless. I'm not 58 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: sure how it was for you, And I'm really interested 59 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 1: in hearing more about that because the whole time we 60 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: were sitting there, my mom was like, oh my gosh, 61 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 1: look at Hillary. She's so beautiful. I wonder what to 62 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: go in through her head right now. You have to 63 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: realize every single time that I'm in the vicinity of you, 64 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: all of the grandmothers ever related to me, or like 65 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: you have to tell her how much I love her. 66 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: You know, there's no kind of like do a good job. 67 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 1: There's all like tell Hillary I love her. Um. But 68 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: you know what I remember from that day is, you know, 69 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: you have this incredible sensation of the historicity of the moment, 70 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: and it's it's something that I think is very difficult 71 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 1: to internalize. So, you know, you go up to the 72 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: podium and I remember distinctly seeing the Washington Monuments, seeing 73 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: the Lincoln Memorial, seeing the flags laid out for the 74 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: lives lost to COVID, and so you're standing in one 75 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: of the most sacred physical spaces in American democracy, and 76 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: I really remember just absorbing that, just trying to take 77 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: that in in order to do the poem justice. Yeah, well, 78 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: you more than exceeded anybody's expectation. Of course, I flashed 79 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: back immediately to my Angelou, uh and the inauguration in 80 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: in because in very different ways, because obviously age and 81 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: everything else that separated you your spirits seemed to be 82 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: communing on that inaugural stage this year, and it was 83 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: so touching to me personally to summon back that memory. 84 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: And I know that you have told people you had 85 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,119 Speaker 1: a little bit of writer's block, you weren't quite sure 86 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: what you were going to say, and it was the 87 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: terrible events of January six that seemed to really spark 88 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: the creativity that led to what you did finally, right absolutely. 89 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: I mean when I began writing the poem, I want 90 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: to say, I began it on January one, and I 91 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: was just going at it like a slug. I think 92 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: I was writing like one sentence a day and kind 93 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: of looking at myself like, if I continue at this space, 94 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: this poem is not going to be done until two 95 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,679 Speaker 1: inaugurations from now. And so I was, you know, doing 96 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: my best to kind of chug along and do the labor, 97 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: and then you know, the events of the introduction at 98 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: the Capital happened in that just it was this kind 99 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,679 Speaker 1: of on switch moment where what I knew I needed 100 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: to say clicked into place, and how we've been discussing 101 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: coming into the poem. I knew that the theme of 102 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: the inauguration was going to be unity. But I think 103 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: as the inaugural poet, I took it as my kind 104 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: of responsibility to ask unity for what purpose? Unity to 105 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: what end? And I think poetry at times can speak 106 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: to that in a way that pros not and so 107 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,359 Speaker 1: that really helped me finish the poem. I sent it 108 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: to the inaugural committee that night one because the poem 109 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: was finished and I was proud of it and I 110 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: wanted people to see it. But more importantly too, I 111 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: felt it really important to underscore to the committee that 112 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: in inaugural poem was still more than possible in that moment, 113 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 1: as dark as it was, and that this was something 114 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: that the country in the world and needed to hear. Well. 115 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: Amen to that, because what you were able to do 116 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: is to weave a story that was an honest story. 117 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: You didn't shy away from deep and painful parts of 118 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: our history, particularly our history of racism and slavery, but 119 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: you also maintained hope about the future. You threw it 120 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: into the future, and I think was cathartic. You know, 121 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: we mainly think of Catharsis as being rooted in theater, 122 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: but if you really go way way way back, I'm 123 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: the recitation of stories exactly which you would call poetry, 124 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: predates the acting out of play. So in a sense, 125 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: you're capturing those feelings enabled the entire country to kind 126 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: of go through them with you. Could you sense that 127 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: when you were up there was that part of your consciousness. 128 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: I sensed the catharsis when I was performing, but I 129 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: think even more so when I was writing, you know, 130 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: birthing it to being. I was very purposeful with myself 131 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: and understanding that this was a moment to re sanctify, 132 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:41,040 Speaker 1: to reconsequate not only the capital building, but American democracy. 133 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,480 Speaker 1: UM I often talk about I think in religion, catharsis 134 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: and cleansing is most often connected with rituals of water. 135 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,439 Speaker 1: I think about cleansing in terms of like rituals of words. 136 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 1: When there's been evil or wrongdoing, how do we build 137 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: a new precedent? And often the language and the words 138 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: and the rhetoric that we use is part of that tradition. 139 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: And for me, it was looking at we have seen 140 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: the ways in which words and language have been violated 141 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: and also used to violate others. So how can this 142 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: inauguration day be a new dawn for the written and 143 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: spoken word and that we're actually reclaiming that tradition as 144 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: a path of healing. When did you discover poetry, How 145 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: old were you and what was your process your journey 146 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: like to becoming a poet. I discovered poetry, I want 147 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: to say, at a really young age, probably like four 148 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: or five. I didn't really know it was poetry. When 149 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: I first began writing, I was just putting my thoughts 150 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: on a page. I thought they were honestly songs, and 151 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: then I realized I could not sing, and I was 152 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: just speaking out when I was writing. Um, but yeah, 153 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: from pretty young age. My mom's an English teacher, so 154 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: that's always been at the forefront of my thinking. Funnily enough, Um, 155 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,319 Speaker 1: she's not the biggest poetry fan. I think. I think 156 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,800 Speaker 1: I'm one of the main only I would see reads recently. 157 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: But yeah, you know, when I was a toddler m 158 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: I stumbled across writing, and I think it was a 159 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: huge instrument for me because growing up I had a 160 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: speech impediment, so it was like, wow, look at this 161 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: medium in which I can express my thoughts and my ideas. 162 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: And I remember distinctly being around eight and I was writing, 163 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 1: and it was just this surreal dichotomy because the voice 164 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: that I heard in my head when I was writing 165 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: on the page sounded so different from the voice I 166 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: spoke in And I think only now as a twenty 167 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 1: two soon to be twenty three year old, am I 168 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: actually speaking with that voice that I heard so long ago, 169 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: you know, when I was seven and writing. That's fascinating. Well, 170 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: you're also a twin, and people talk about how twins communicate. 171 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: I mean, do you think there was anything about your 172 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: twinship that moved you toward being a poet. Absolutely, and 173 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you brought that up. What's so funny 174 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: about being a twin is you probably hear this all 175 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:07,439 Speaker 1: the time, like we often have her own languages. I'm 176 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: not sure that actually helped with the speech impediment, because 177 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: it was like, why do I need to speak English? 178 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: I had my twin language. She gets me, and my 179 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: twin often served us like my translators, like I was 180 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: a foreign dignitary. My twin was like, she wants a sandwich, 181 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: there's too much peanut butter, and my mom was just 182 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: being like, okay, great, So my poor mother would just 183 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: like have my sister work as like Google Translate for 184 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: Manda Gorman. Um, so it was really funny. Being a 185 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: twin I think made me lean into the idea that 186 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: who says language isn't this, who says language isn't that. 187 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: We still have her own language to this day, and 188 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: we're kind of bad about it because we use it 189 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: to talk about other people when they're in the room. 190 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: So we used to do that in high school. Uh, 191 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 1: and just be talking about people in our own language 192 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 1: and be like, oh, we're just talking about dinner, you know, 193 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: doing it. But yes, So I love my twin and 194 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: she's always been a great supporter of my non English conformity. 195 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: I love that we're taking a quick break, stay with us. 196 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: You know. When I read about your mom and the 197 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 1: fact that she was an English teacher and she obviously valued, 198 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: you know, education, I read that when you were a kid, 199 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: she only let you watch nineteen sitcoms, and one that 200 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: they mentioned in the article I read was The Honeymooners. 201 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I'm dating myself, but you know I wasn't. 202 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't watching that on reruns back of the day. 203 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: And if you wanted to watch so called modern TV, uh, 204 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: you had to make a social justice argument exavince her 205 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: to let you tell us what that was about, because 206 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: clearly it worked. It's a little undiventional, but it worked 207 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: exactly well. Um. You know my mom, she was really 208 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: hard set on us not necessarily just being consumers of content, 209 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: but creators of our own content and the stories you 210 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: wanted to see. So that started with kind of monitoring 211 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: what we were taking in and how much we were 212 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: taking in. And so we started just with like one 213 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,679 Speaker 1: TV show that we were allowed to watch, with just 214 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: the Honeymooners. I was probably like a late elementary school 215 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: when I realized television and color was actually hid thing. 216 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: It was so funny, like I brought my friends over 217 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: to my house and I like put in the little 218 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,719 Speaker 1: VCR tape and they were like, wires are screen and 219 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 1: black and line. I was like, isn't yours? And um. 220 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: But it was a really lovely childhood because it meant 221 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: that we were spending so much time creating plays and 222 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: songs and writing poetry because the television was off because 223 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: we had to be our own entertainment. And then once 224 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: we kind of graduated from the Honeymooners to things like 225 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: h or preference stuff very complex. Um, the monsters and 226 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: so on. If I wanted to watch something um that 227 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: was modern, I had to actually communicate why that was 228 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: something that should be in my visual effort are So 229 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 1: I remember wanting to watch Kim Possible and making the 230 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: argument that she was a strong female character and I 231 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: should be exposed to her in That argument worked, But 232 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: when I wanted to watch America's Next Top Model, it 233 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: was more some good try. But my mom did turn 234 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: it on for a few minutes and she was like, Okay, 235 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: let's talk about everything wrong with this, like what did 236 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: you just see and what were those messages? And so 237 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: it wasn't necessarily sheltering us from everything, but making sure 238 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: that we were able to articulate those stories how they 239 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: were influencing our points of view, so that we could 240 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: then speak back to them. Well, she was ahead of 241 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: her time, because now everybody says, you know, limit screen 242 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: time for your children, and it's no longer just the 243 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: TV you're competing with, but obviously everything online exactly. It 244 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: can't help but limit your own creativity because you are 245 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: absorbing somebody else's messaging and you've got to almost deliberately 246 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: move away from that in order to do your own creativity. 247 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: You know, this year, as you summed up so well, 248 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: both in in your poem but also in the interviews 249 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: that you've done, has been incredibly hard for so many people. 250 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: Were you able to finish your last year of college 251 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: before COVID hit? No, I wasn't. UM. I was in 252 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: my senior spring and our campus closed down like so 253 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: many others around the country. UM, and I came back home. 254 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: It wasn't until I think I was a few weeks 255 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: in to the online schooling process where I realized, I 256 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: think how much grief I personally was in. I think 257 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: for so long we didn't have a collective word for 258 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: what we were going through. It was almost an unintelligible emotion. 259 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: And to kind of realize that, oh my gosh, every 260 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: day I'm waking up grieving, grieving for everything I've lost 261 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: and everything I haven't yet. UM. And so that was 262 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: a really hard period. I'm not being able to have 263 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: my graduation, which you know, my family takes education so seriously. 264 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: I am a descendant of slaves. The idea that I, 265 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: as a black woman, would be walking across the Harvard 266 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: graduation stage graduating with honors was huge to my family, 267 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: and so just finding ways to move forward and push on. 268 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: You know, it was difficult, especially because when you're someone 269 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: that I think people look too for hope. I was 270 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: writing a lot of poems at the time, and people 271 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: kept asking me for kind of new commissions which spoke 272 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: to the moment, and I was like, I'm right here 273 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: with you, I am going through this, I'm in the 274 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: moment with you. You know, I'm in the fog of 275 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: war and being expected to have clarity in that um 276 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: And so that was hard, and I think how I 277 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: now navigated it and continued to cultivate my own creativity 278 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:07,239 Speaker 1: in my voice was actually looking a lot to the 279 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: past and looking at the truth speakers of our history 280 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: who lived through times of im mental grief and also 281 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: intense isolation which we now call quarantining. So I was 282 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,120 Speaker 1: thinking about, you know, Mornin Luther King writing a letter 283 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: from a Birmingham jail. I was thinking about Anne Frank 284 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: writing in her diary while hiding from Nazis. I was 285 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: even thinking about Shakespeare um during the plague and when 286 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: it hit Europe and him having to leave London um 287 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,199 Speaker 1: and continue his artistry and kind of rural areas. So 288 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: there has been a precedent of storytellers continuing to document 289 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: the best and worst of humanity, and I wanted to 290 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: be part of that tradition, not to say I am 291 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: anyone of those icons, but to say that their light 292 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: in history has served as a beacon for me. Well, 293 00:17:55,359 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: but I think that's really important, Amanda, because what we're 294 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: missing right now is hopeful storytelling. We we are missing 295 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,600 Speaker 1: the individual voices and then the chorus that they can 296 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: create that can help guide us. Like I really appreciated 297 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: your poem during the Super Bowl lifting up people on 298 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: the front lines, because it was a way of saying, 299 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,199 Speaker 1: we're all in this together. We're about to watch a 300 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: football game, but let's not forget the people who have 301 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: been taking care of us and keeping us going. And 302 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: right now, in conversations that I'm having with people, you know, 303 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: everybody is saying, what's America's story? You know, the story 304 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: has been somewhat degraded and words have been weaponized. Your 305 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: poem helped to kind of pull us forward. But to 306 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: what's next? I mean, if you could have the proverbial 307 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: you know, magic wand to wave, how would you help 308 00:18:54,480 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: America regain a truthful unity with purpose? Home? You know, 309 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: sense of story about where we go next? Only asking 310 00:19:05,359 --> 00:19:08,560 Speaker 1: the easy questions today, aren't you killer? I'm looking for 311 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: wisdom you know, I love it well, I'm looking for 312 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: it from you so um. But you know what's really 313 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: interesting is my mom keeps saying this to me in 314 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 1: the aftermath of my poem about you know. The reason 315 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: that she believes it's touched so many people is she 316 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,640 Speaker 1: was basically saying, you know, for so long, we've heard 317 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: so many words and none of them have been kind. 318 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: No one it feels like, has said a kind word 319 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:38,720 Speaker 1: in four years. So for me, it's it's looking at 320 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:43,479 Speaker 1: what is America's story and how do we tell it? 321 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: You know, which is just as important. It's just as 322 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: important of the things that we're saying as how we 323 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: are saying them, or were saying them with honesty, with kindness, 324 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: with compassion. Are we saying what is necessary? And so 325 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: I think I'm a small piece of that effort. It 326 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 1: was almost like on Inauguration Day there was this on switch. 327 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: I was watching the news in the language of coverage 328 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: was so much different, The language of journalists was so 329 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 1: much different, The language um that I was hearing from 330 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: fellow poets was so much different, and it wasn't as 331 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 1: if we were erasing anything that had happened. But it 332 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: was so amazing to see hope into kindness re enter 333 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: American rhetoric to all of a sudden become the dialects 334 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: that we speak in once again. And so I think 335 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: that's the power of voice, of storytelling of one person. 336 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: If one poem can reintroduce a country to what it 337 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: means to hope together yet again, that in itself is 338 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 1: a new chapter in the American story. Right. You create 339 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: the space for people once again, uh, to be kind, 340 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: to be hopeful. I think we've all been in a 341 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: kind of collective defensive crouch. It's almost like, what's going 342 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: to happen next? You know, what terrible thing is going 343 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: to occur? And of course you're not only a poet, 344 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: you're someone who has followed and expressed an interest in politics, 345 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: including running for presidents and six when did that first 346 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: dawn on you that hey, wait a minute, I want 347 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,719 Speaker 1: to do this. I mean, probably with you, honestly, And 348 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: I know you're such an inspiration to so many people 349 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: around the world, including me. I mean, I remember being 350 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: an elementary school and you know, your name is always 351 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: in our household, and you know, my mom always making 352 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: sure that I saw the work that you were doing. 353 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: And then I think, you know, as I entered middle school, 354 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: what's interestingly enough, I think that is typically the phase 355 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: where girls their dreams start to change. They might have 356 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: begun hoping to be a scientist, and then you know, 357 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: they enter middle school and puberty happens and they're kind 358 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 1: of shepherded off to other avenues. That's kind of when 359 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: I doubled down, if anything on their dreams I already 360 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: had and saying I want to make a difference. I 361 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: want to make a change, and I don't just want 362 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 1: to write about it, I want to participate in it 363 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: and other avenues. So I would say probably around six 364 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,239 Speaker 1: or seventh grade. And it was funny because, um, I 365 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: think many people at first thought it was a joke, 366 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: like ha ha, little girl was to be president, and 367 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,000 Speaker 1: it is no joke. M I told my mom, you know, 368 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: I want to be president, and she was like, okay, 369 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: so this is what we're going to do. And we 370 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: sat down and had a great family conversation, the you know, 371 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,159 Speaker 1: main message of which was I would have to be 372 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: so careful for basically the rest of my young adulthood 373 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 1: with what I put out there of myself. So I 374 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: didn't get social media until late high school. Um, and 375 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: even if I remember so many times being at parties 376 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: or hanging out with friends and they would be taking 377 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,120 Speaker 1: selfies and I would just run into the bathroom more 378 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: slide away or like cover of my face, and it 379 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: was just like the de facto norm in my family 380 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: and our friendship group. Amanda is going to be president 381 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,719 Speaker 1: in twenty five years. Um, we can't be taking photos 382 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: of her all the time. So it was just like 383 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: what happened. And I remember, you know, my sister, my 384 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: twin being at U c l A and being at 385 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: UM parties and them taking photos and her being like, 386 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: I can't be in it. My sister is running for president. 387 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to be the thing that comes up 388 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: twenty five years and now. And so my family takes 389 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: it dead seriously and I love them for it. So yeah, 390 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: it's it's been a it's been a long goal. We'll 391 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: be right back. So what's next for you? How do 392 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 1: you you know envision you know the next five years, 393 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 1: you know, into your late twenties. For me, what's next? 394 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: For me is almost kind of like what's now? I 395 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: think so much is happening, and often it feels like 396 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 1: you have to say yes to everything at once. Just 397 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: the wave of attention and request that I've been getting, 398 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: and I've been learning that like no is a complete sentence, 399 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: it is. That's a good lesson exactly. It's it's a 400 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: really good lesson that I've been learning to kind of 401 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: just take time for myself. So I think, you know, 402 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: the next few years are going to be really interesting, 403 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: They're going to be exciting, um and it's going into 404 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,639 Speaker 1: be me. I think continuing on a path of what 405 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: I hope is a leadership and also like a non 406 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: traditional fashion. So I think often when we think about 407 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: leaders are the political sphere, there's a very set agenda 408 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: of tick marks that you have to hit, and often 409 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: they're defined by whiteness and masculinity. That's how you achieve 410 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: a pedestal of leadership. And for me, it's like how 411 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 1: do I gain an imprint in society where I can 412 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: make change, Where I'm actually following a path that is 413 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,919 Speaker 1: informed by my femininity, informed by my blackness, is inflorenced 414 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,959 Speaker 1: by my poetry. So it doesn't mean stopping writing and 415 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: then you know, going to law school it means actually 416 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: continuing to write, continuing to speak, and also continuing to 417 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 1: learn and be educated in all of the wide spheres 418 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 1: that I can be. I think you have what is 419 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: the most important uh quality for anyone who is seeking 420 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:29,199 Speaker 1: leadership and whatever sphere. You have a voice that is 421 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: informed by not just your own life experience, but very 422 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,480 Speaker 1: importantly you know, the shoulders you stand at going back, 423 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: you know, generations. You have a voice because of how 424 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: you've been raised as well as educated. Uh. You have 425 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: a voice that is poetic, but it comes from a 426 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: deep place. So it's important to just remain who you 427 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: are with that voice, uh, and to seek opportunities, you know, 428 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: to try to you know, utilize it to bring people 429 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: together to you know, maybe set some goals, some projects, 430 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: some things that you are going to work on, because 431 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, we are in great 432 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: need for a kind of revitalization of the American experiment. 433 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: Right it has you know, I'm not gonna say run aground, 434 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: but it's maybe out there treading water. Yeah. Yeah, you know, 435 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 1: there's a lot of confusion, there's a lot of conflict, 436 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: and so clarity of voice, breaking through that fog is 437 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: a necessary part of leadership always, but particularly now, I 438 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: think exactly. And I think that's something that I'm also learning, 439 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: which is of the pricelessness of your own voice. I 440 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: think when you have this electric moment where something you 441 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: say vicachetes throughout the entire world, people keep handing you 442 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: the mic and saying speak, say, And for me, it's 443 00:26:57,320 --> 00:26:59,880 Speaker 1: learning to kind of take a step back and actually 444 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: pass the mic onto other people, which is why I'm 445 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: For example, the Super Bowl poem was so important to me. 446 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: It wasn't about here's a man of Gorman again, applause, applause. 447 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 1: It was actually, there's these three amazing people who are 448 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,400 Speaker 1: doing great work who we should recognize because they symbolize 449 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: the best of who we are, and so many thousands 450 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: of other people who are showing up every day for us. So, 451 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 1: you know, trying to use my voice to give voice 452 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 1: to others. Well, I can't tell you how excited I 453 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: am for what lies ahead for you. And I really 454 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 1: mean it when I say I want to be of 455 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: whatever help and support, because you know, there's a change 456 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: in perspective that inevitably accompanies you know, post college, entry 457 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: into adulthood, particularly looking for you know, political footing, and 458 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 1: someday when we could travel again post COVID. Uh, maybe 459 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: you and your mom and I can you know, sit 460 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: down and have a meal together. I love that amazing. 461 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: Thank you, Thank you so much. Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem, 462 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 1: The Hill We Climb, will be published in March. Her 463 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:20,600 Speaker 1: debut children's book, Change Sings, and her first poetry collection 464 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: will be out in September. You can pre order all 465 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: three now from your favorite independent bookstore. So that's it 466 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: for this week's episode. But we do have a lot 467 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: to talk about in this season. We're gonna be talking 468 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: about fighting online disinformation, what to do about these tech 469 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: companies that are literally taking over our brains and in 470 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: many ways running our lives. We'll talk about the impact 471 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: the pandemic has been having on kids, what do we 472 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: do for kids who have been so dislocated, not being 473 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 1: able to go to school, being at home, trying to 474 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: make you know, online learning work. And we will also 475 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: look at the differences between real life politics and what 476 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: we see on shows like S n L. We've got 477 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,959 Speaker 1: a lot of great conversations and yes, a few surprises 478 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: headed your way, so please stay tuned. You and Me 479 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: Both is brought to you by I Heart Radio. We're 480 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: produced by Julie Subrant, Kathleen Russo and Lauren Peterson, with 481 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: help from Huma Aberdeen, Nicky etur Oscar Flores, Lindsay Hoffman, 482 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: Brianna Johnson, Nick Merrill, Rob Russo, Opal Vedan and Lona Valmorrow. 483 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: Our engineer is Zack McNeice and original music is by 484 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: Forrest Gray. If you like You and Me Both, please 485 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: share it with your friends. Let them know they can 486 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: subscribe to You and Me Both on the I heart 487 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 488 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and see you next week.