A New Land

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.

Featuring an Introduction by Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, this collection of poems offers 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.

"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 Inaugrual Poet, author of How to Love a Country