Most states in the U.S. have a poet laureate or a similar position. The ubiquity of this role is worth pausing to contemplate. Somehow, a significant majority of American states—regardless of location, population size, or political leaning—have decided it is worth devoting publicly funded time and resources toward selecting and supporting government-appointed authors. These laureates take on different tasks and even serve for differing lengths of time in each state. But they all have a love for writing and a belief that sharing that love will do good in the world.
At a time of seemingly bottomless polarization and bitterness in so many corners of American life, what can we learn from these bards? What would it feel like to take a tour of this sprawling country via the eyes, ears, and sensibilities of its publicly-sanctioned poets? This series of audio collages is an attempt to do that.
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