Ada Limón ended her tenure as the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate in April of this year—the first Latina in the role. 

Limón’s work has been described as both tender and resounding, it rejoices in the simplicity of everyday life. And she’s been praised for tackling head-on the imperfections of her body, the frailty of life, and the failings of our governments. But even in the darkness, her poetry does not linger in despair—it always finds a way back to nature and the delightful contradictions of being human. 

Limón has written seven books of poetry and she’s out with a new poetry collection called “Startlement.” She spoke to Maria Hinojosa about the work she’s most proud of, the art of noticing nature, dealing with grief through poetry, and how to feel brave during hard times.

Photo credit: Lucas Marquardt.

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Episode credits:

Producer: Rebeca Ibarra

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