Amanda Gorman Discusses With Oprah When She ‘Laid It On The Floor’ During Inaugural Poem

Amanda Gorman from an upcoming episode of The Oprah Conversation | Photo credit: Apple TV+ By D'Shonda Brown ·March 25, 2021March 25, 2021

You may recognize Amanda Gorman as the 23-year-old powerhouse who recited “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, making her the nation’s first-ever youth poet laureate. Gorman has gone on to be interviewed by former First Lady Michelle Obama for TIME and became the Super Bowl’s first poet when she recited her original poem “Chorus of the Captains” at Super Bowl LV.

Now, the inaugural poet and activist will have a sit down conversation with the iconic Oprah Winfrey as the next guest on “The Oprah Conversation” on Apple TV+. “Amanda Gorman is a young woman who stepped into a moment in history with enormous grace and dignity,” said Oprah Winfrey in a press release sent to ESSENCE. “I was enthralled by her youthful spirit from the first moment we met, and very much looked forward to hearing her unpack all that has happened to her the past few months.”

Amanda Gorman and Oprah Winfrey from an upcoming episode of The Oprah Conversation | Photo credit: Apple TV+

Airing tomorrow March 26, Winfrey and Gorman will be discussing a wide range of topics from mentors that Gorman turned to during her pursuit of her famed poetry writing career to the origin behind “The Hill We Climb,” which she delivered at this year’s historic inauguration.

“It was so fascinating because I showed up to the podium and I laid it on the floor. I knew the poem was written; all was left was for me to embody it and I was going to do that to the best of my capability,” Gorman told Winfrey as she reminisced about her poem delivery. “It wasn’t till the ceremony was done and I was backstage basically with my mom that we realized the totality of what just happened in six minutes to the point that my phone was crashing. I was seeing images of myself on the news backstage.”

Gorman continued: “It felt meaningful not only to me but in a broader sense because it was kind of looking up and saying, ‘This is something that the world needed to hear and I needed to write.’ Very rarely do you get that type of luxury as a poet in which your words aren’t just meeting a moment but making a moment in history, and that’s something that I’m still absorbing.”

Oprah Winfrey from The Oprah Conversation | Photo credit: Apple TV+

“The Oprah Conversation” is an Apple Original series in which Winfrey herself has in-depth conversations with thought leaders, public figures and change agents making history in present day. These conversations, as described in the press release, ” aim to bring truth and perspective to a range of topics shaping our world, revealing gripping stories of human connection.” Other guests of the show include Emmanuel Acho, Professor Ibram X. Kendi, Bryan Stevenson, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton and Barack Obama.

“The Oprah Conversation” featuring Amanda Gorman premieres on Friday, March 26 on Apple TV+. “Oprah’s Book Club” and “Oprah Talks COVID-19” is available on the stream platform as well.