Amanda Gorman & Christian Robinson

Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in US history. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "The Hill We Climb," "Call Us What We Carry," and the children’s picture book "Change Sings," illustrated by Loren Long. She is a committed advocate for the environment, racial equality, and gender justice. In a groundbreaking collaboration with the Estée Lauder Companies as a Global Changemaker, she established the Writing Change initiative to support grassroots organizations dedicated to advancing literacy as a pathway to social change. She graduated cum laude from Harvard University and now lives in her hometown of Los Angeles. Please visit her at TheAmandaGorman.com or on Instagram @AmandaSCGorman.

Christian Robinson

Christian Robinson received a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for his art in "Last Stop on Market Street," written by Matt de la Peña. He is the author and illustrator of the picture books "Another" and "You Matter," and he has illustrated many more, including "Nina: A Story of Nina Simone" by Traci N. Todd and "The Bench" by Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex. He lives in Oakland. Please visit him at TheArtOfFun.com or on Instagram @TheArtOfFun.com or on Instagram @TheArtOfFun.

About the Session

Gorman and Robinson will discuss their book, "Something, Someday," available September 2023. The children's picture book is a timeless message of hope, with intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations. Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. Gorman says, "I wrote "Something, Someday" to show that though it might be difficult, when we work together, even the smallest acts of kindness can lead to the largest positive change. 

Moderator:

Dr. Eve L. Ewing is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer from Chicago. She is the award-winning author of four books: the poetry collections "Electric Arches" and "1919," the nonfiction work "Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side," and a novel for young readers, "Maya and the Robot." She is the co-author, with Nate Marshall, of the play "No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks." She has written several projects for Marvel Comics, most notably the "Ironheart" series, and is currently writing "Black Panther." Ewing is an associate professor in the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity at the University of Chicago. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other venues. Currently, she is working on her next book, "Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism," which will be published by One World.