For National Poetry Month, Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum speaks with Maine's next generation of poets in this one-hour special.

Benedita Zalabantu joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poem "Drop of Melanin and Blood," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Benedita discuss writing for yourself, finding people like yourself reflected in a community of writers, a love of Stephen King and horror, working through mental health in the pandemic, finding the small details that encapsulate bigger themes, and talent’s role in poetic performance. Benedita is a senior at Portland High School and was one of the youngest students accepted into The Telling Room’s Young Writers and Leaders program.

Henry Spritz joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read his poem "Hunting for Light," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Henry discuss the energy and creativity among young artist communities in Maine, finding grains of inspiration, writing about the juxtaposition of familiar places and people in poetry, taking wild ideas that matter into filmmaking, and Maine as the central inspiration in all art forms. Henry is currently attending Bowdoin College. He was part of The Telling Room’s Young Emerging Author’s Fellowship when he published his novel THE ROAD TO TERRENCEFIELD.

Lulu Rasor joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poem "Grendel’s Mother Takes the Mic," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Lulu discuss authorial voice, character point of view, Beowulf, the anonymity of female characters, authentic characterization, Maine as a setting, and why she can’t stop writing. Lulu is now a student at Oberlin College. She published her poetry collection, “An Open Letter to Ophelia,” through the Telling Room’s Young Emerging Authors Fellowship.

Salar Salim joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read his poem "For Who I Am," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Salar discuss immigration and experiencing Islamophobia in Maine, using writing to combat discrimination and process sadness and frustration, and the impact and importance of publishing your writing and sharing your message. Salar is a sophomore at the College of The Holy Cross.

Missouri Alice Williams and Abie Waisman join Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read their poems "A Little Secret," and “Santa Rosa,” featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Missouri discuss observation as inspiration, sharing poems at dinner, the role of storytelling in theater and writing, and being a teacher now. Next, Stuart and Abie discuss wildfires, a golden straw, architecture as poetic inspiration, and the art of the haiku. Missouri is a current student at Southern Maine Community College, and is starting her own business that teaches music to elementary and preschool children. Abie is a student at Waynflete School.

Siri Pierce joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poem "Plastic Palaces" featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Siri discuss writing about seriousness and shock from the imagination of youth and the memories of today, the details of fantasy and mortality, and writing in isolation and sharing darker themes with trusted readers in a workshop environment. Siri is currently a student at Brown University.

Lizzy Lemieux joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poems "The Presumpscot Baptism of a Jewish Girl," and “Matryoshka,” featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Lizzy discuss how cultural beliefs play into writing, “sticking” the ending, writing honestly about familial heritage, coming of age, how a story's voice travels with you, explorations in punctuation, and why wait to write about current events. Lizzy is a Senior at the University of Pennsylvania and published her poetry collection “The Presumpscot Baptism of a Jewish Girl,” through The Telling Room’s Young Emerging Authors Fellowship.

Fiona Stawarz joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poem "Crimson," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Fiona discuss writing about current events, exploring BIPOC themes in creative writing, the challenge of being called upon to be a representative of your race, the importance of many drafts and of fiction writing, and the adrenaline rush of sharing your writing publicly. Fiona is currently part of The Telling Room’s Young Writers and Leaders program.

Jordan Rich joins Maine Poet Laureate Stuart Kestenbaum in conversation and to read her poem "How to Build a Closet," featured in A NEW LAND, a poetry anthology from The Telling Room. Stuart and Jordan discuss the genre of queer poetry, writing representation into literature that is positive and healing, using real life experience, sharing as a relief, words as power, workshopping writing, and the treatment of self-acceptance and self-love in a queer context. Jordan is now a student at Bay Path University studying child psychology.