A New Land: 30 Groundbreaking Poems by Youth Poets
A New Land: 30 Groundbreaking Poems by Youth Poets
A Telling Room Anthology, Introduction by Presidential Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman
Maine’s 2021 Route 1 Reads Selection, in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council and Library of Congress
Featured on Maine Public Radio, NewsCenter Maine, in Maine Magazine, and in the Bangor Daily News
Description
Since 2004, The Telling Room has been nurturing the voices and publishing the work of some of today’s most talented and inspiring young poets and writers. Organized into three sections mirroring the transitional stages from childhood into adulthood, A New Land packages 30 groundbreaking poems from The Telling Room’s first 15 years.
Follow one narrator as he revisits the winding river in Cameroon where he grew up. Feel how one of these poets feels when watching her younger brother grow into a black man in the world. Imagine the horror of a wildfire in the midst of climate change. Listen to one young woman describe the joys and tribulations of teenage motherhood. The poems here offer a stunning exploration of coming-of-age and a triumphant chorus of American youth, whose voices make up their “new land” and also reckon with the social issues that impact us all.
A RESOURCE FOR EDUCATORS
In the summer of 2021, we teamed up with local educators and Telling Room alums to create a poetry curriculum to accompany A New Land. This Common Core & Maine Learning Standards Aligned poetry unit inspires students to see themselves as writers by exposing them to examples of excellent peer writing from A New Land, providing opportunities for collaboration and discussion, and supporting them through the revision process. Designed for Grade Nine - English Language Arts courses, this week-long curriculum includes options for standalone lessons as well.
Praise For…
“An utterly moving collection of youth poetry that mirrors the face of America. Artfully arranged, these poems plumb a multitude of experiences ranging from migration and family separation, to race and gun violence, to first love and sexuality. Through these young poets’ eyes we see the world, we too, wish to re-conceive alongside them; through their courage and honesty we navigate the social challenges they strive to re-write.” — Richard Blanco, Presidential Inaugural Poet, author of How to Love a Country
“A New Land introduces us to a generation of remarkable writers. In poems full of rich language and moving detail, we come to see suffering, love, and yearning through their eyes. I felt like a traveler seeing places for the first time, awakened to the possibility, power, and consequences of each moment we are given.” — Stuart Kestenbaum, Poet Laureate of Maine, author of Only Now
“Poetry is powerful. It expands our horizons, enhances our senses, elevates our empathy and our connections with one another. These poems, as diverse as their authors, embody the beauty and power of our state from the pounding sea spray to the towering pines. As readers, we are invited to imagine hopeful beginnings, the roots of our identity, and the prospects for change. I encourage Maine students and teachers to enjoy the beauty and inspiration of A New Land, and then begin to write your own story.” — Governor Janet T. Mills
"This anthology is strongly recommended for all teachers of creative writing, especially at the high school level. You will find sustenance to share in every poem." — Naomi Shihab Nye, Poetry Foundation’s Young People's Poet Laureate, author of Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners, and The Tiny Journalist
“Bold and truthful, these poems spread a smile on your face, relieve your overwhelming stress, and make you laugh from the heart. A New Land is important; it brings awareness and helps us to understand and appreciate youth experiences. Everybody, old and young, needs to have a chance to read this book.” — Kifah Abdulla, artist, poet, activist, and author of Mountains Without Peaks
“This is a breathtaking collection of literature that captures the vibrant spirit of youth voices, as it chooses to narrate itself authentically. A New Land dares its readers to ask themselves, ‘What about a memory can spark a muse if our lives were only told by a collection of poems?’” — Nyamuon-Nguany Machar, poet, spoken word artist, and youth educator
"The voices in this collection of youth poetry are luminous with wisdom and electric with insight. A New Land allows us to travel into the brilliant future of American poetry. Don't be surprised when you find you don't want to go back." — Cate Marvin, poet and author of Oracle
"This is not a window on the world, but a collection of doorways to walk through, into new lands. These wonderful poets share their worlds with us, make our worlds larger, richer, more diverse, more informed. Reading these poems will put you on a path to citizenship of the heart." — Gary Lawless, poet, bookseller, editor, publisher, and author of In Ruins
Featured Excerpts…
WATCH
LISTEN
Join Maine's Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum and twelve poets from A New Land in conversation as they discuss their work and wordsmithing in the Voices of the Future podcast, available here. Check out the hour-long radio special on Voices of the Future that aired on Maine Public Radio here.
A NEW LAND ON SOUNDCLOUD
Tune into The Telling Room on Soundcloud to hear twelve poets from A NEW LAND read their poems aloud in their own voices.
POETRY ANTHOLOGY | Paperback | 122 Pages | 2020 | ISBN: 9781733263344