September’s Offerings from Poetry in America

Richard Blanco reading “Looking for the Gulf Motel.”

Actor John Turturro, economist Betsey Stevenson, and poet Martín Espada on the meaning of sound in “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper.”

Reading & Writing with Media

Here are some suggestions for how to incorporate these videos into your classroom or writing practice:

Writing into remembered landscapes: Following Blanco and Herrera, write about a particular landscape or location from your past that continues to inform who you are today. Bring the time and place into being with all your senses: what are the smells, sounds, tastes, sights, and feelings of this place? After describing the location in as much detail as possible, pivot your attention to who you are–the one remembering–within this context. Who else is there with you? How has this particular time and place shaped your sense of identity or culture?
Connecting to culture and history: Use these videos as a springboard for exploring the biography of these particular poets, and/or their particular Hispanic heritage within and beyond the United States: Juan Felipe Herrera (California/Mexico), Richard Blanco (Florida/Cuba), Martín Espada (New York/Puerto Rico). Ask students to share their findings with each other.

Connected Offerings

For learners of all kinds:

Poetry in America, PBS TV Series: Richard Blanco, “Looking for the Gulf Motel,” Martín Espada, “Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper”

For educators and graduate students:

ASU MLFC Professional Educator Learning Hub: Fifteen hours, self-paced professional development course, Poetry of the City for Educators: The City
Poetry in America for Teachers: Earth, Sea, Sky—four-credit, graduate level degree course (Harvard Division of Continuing Education, next offered 2026)

For K–12 students and undergraduates:

ASU MLFC Reading America course series (three-credit courses open to high-schoolers and undergraduates): 1850-1945 (Spring 2026), American Environments (Summer 2026), The City (Fall 2026)
Amplify ELA + Poetry in America curriculum for middle school students
Poetry in America curricula for high school students in collaboration with the XQ Institute and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (forthcoming from ASU)

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