Amanda Gorman Books Spike in Sales Online, Following Florida Book Ban
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National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman stole the show at President Biden’s inauguration in 2021, with the stirring debut of her original poem, “The Hill We Climb.” But Gorman is back in the headlines this week after a Florida school banned elementary students from reading “The Hill We Climb” in the classroom.
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Gorman, the country’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, quickly became a trending topic on Twitter, with many coming to the defense of the 25-year-old for not only her poise, but also her words of reconciliation, activism and hope in spite of the supposed book ban.
Sales of Gorman’s work have also soared online, where the author’s books are still available — for everyone — to purchase and read.
A special hardcover edition of Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” is currently number one on Amazon’s poetry charts. Gorman’s book of original poetry and her children’s book, meantime, were released in late 2021, and continue to appear on the bestsellers charts for poetry and African-American story books respectively.
If you want to find out more about Gorman and read more of her work, here are the book titles that she has available online right now. The books are also available in audiobook format (read by Gorman herself), which you can access with this 30-day free trial offer to Audible here.
1. The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country
This special-edition release commemorates the poem Gorman read at the 46th Presidential Inauguration, with a foreword by Oprah Winfrey. Though Gorman had been working on “The Hill We Climb” for weeks, the poem was reportedly only completed after Gorman witnessed the insurrection on Capitol Hill earlier this month.
As Gorman writes, Scripture tells us to envision / that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree / and no one shall make them afraid. / If we’re to live up to our own time / then victory won’t lie in the blade. / But in all the bridges we’ve made, that is the promise to glade, / the hill we climb. / If only we dare.
The Hill We Climb
2. Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
Gorman’s Change Sings has been described as a “lyrical children’s book,” following a young African-American girl on her journey through the world. Gorman wrote the text for the book, which is accompanied by illustrations from Loren Long, known for his work on the New York Times bestsellers, Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to my Daughters, by former President Barack Obama, and Love by Matt de la Pena.
Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem
3. Call Us What We Carry: Poems
Formerly titled The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, this collection of poetry includes “The Hill We Climb,” along with other original compositions. While the 80-page hardcover book was Gorman’s first wide-release collection of poetry, the LA-native and Harvard grad has previously been contributed to the New York Times, Vogue, Essence, and O magazine. Gorman also released a poetry collection in 2015 titled, The One For Whom Food is Not Enough.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems
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