Presidential Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco comes on the show to bring his less than stellar work. From "Emily’s Recurring Dream of a Failed Bridge" which was too long for the show title that is full of "—" in honor of Emily Dickinson...let's just say the concept failed to connect. Blanco brings along two other rough poems that eventually got reworked to great success.

My Bad Poetry Episode 5.21: "One Calculus & The Only Island (w/ Richard Blanco)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Looking for The Gulf Motel, Marco Island, Florida" by Richard Blanco

Richard Blanco is a Cuban American poet from Miami, Florida. He was the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, reading "One Today" for President Obama in 2013. He was also awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden from the National Endowment for the Humanities. His most recent collection Homeland of My Body: New & Selected Poems was released at the end of 2023. You can learn more about his life and work through his website.

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