Years before Amanda Gorman took the inaugural stage, the now-22-year-old poet recited her pieces at other historic venues, like the Library of Congress. Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, delivered one of her most compelling addresses at the famed research library in 2017. Her original performance of “In This Place: An American Lyric” three years ago wowed listeners, including Jill Biden, who asked Gorman to join the 2021 Inauguration Day festivities.
The new first lady clearly made the right choice,