Richard Blanco

“Let’s place each memory like a star, the light of their past reaching us now, and always, reminding us to keep writing until we never need to write a poem like this again.”

“”It was the easiest poem and the hardest poem to write.”

MIAMI — In Richard Blanco’s Miami, memories linger outside coffee windows and in Cuban grocery store aisles. Barack Obama’s 2013 inaugural poet grew up here, gathering experiences and stories as the son of Cuban exiles that would lay the foundation for his written work and inspire his new memoir, “The Prince of Los Cocuyos.”

To mark the 10th anniversary since Massachusetts because the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage, advocacy group Freedom to Marry commissioned Richard Blanco, the poet for Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2012, to write a poem commemorating the decade.

MIAMI — The Miami neighborhood where inaugural poet Richard Blanco grew up, in many ways, resembles Cuba his family left behind. Down the street, a man sells avocados from a small table. His favorite bakery, a few blocks north, serves guava pastries and cafe con leche.

Poet Richard Blanco delivers his an inaugural poem “One Today” on Monday at President Barack Obama’s second term inauguration. In addition to being the youngest ever inaugural poet, Blanco, 44, is the first Hispanic and the first openly gay person to serve in the role. Watch: More on Richard Blanco is here. The text of […]

WASHINGTON — Poet Richard Blanco has delivered an inaugural poem paying homage to the American experience. Blanco, at age 44 the youngest ever inaugural poet, recited a poem that painted vivid scenes about America and included reflections on his experience growing up as Cuban exile in New York City and Miami. His poem, “One Today,” […]

The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Wednesday that openly gay poet Richard Blanco will be one of five people selected to read an original poem at a President Barack Obama’s second-term inauguration. Blanco, 44, will be the first Latino, first gay man, and youngest person to serve the role.