JUAN FELIPE HERRERA is the Poet Laureate of the United States. Before that he was Poet Laureate of California. And before that he was a Fresno poet who was inspiring the dreams and imaginations of thousands of children, their parents, and fellow poets. Herrera joins us again on WORDS ON A WIRE to talk about his Laureateship and how his life has changed (and how it hasn't) since he was appointed Poet Laureate of the U.S. in 2015.
Juan Felipe Herrera's works are inspired by social events, and for our Poem of the Week, he reads the poem "I'll Take a Bullet for You" inspired by the words of a police officer spoken during the San Bernardino shootings.
As part of his Laureateship, Herrera is trying to encourage everyone to express themselves through their words. You can join the voices by contributing your expressions at the Library of Congress's Casa de Colores, established by Herrera. https://www.loc.gov/poetry/casadecolores/
Aired Feb 21, 2016