Ada Limón ended her tenure as U.S. Poet Laureate this year – the first Latina to do so. Her work has been described as both tender and resounding, it rejoices in the simplicity of everyday life. She’s been praised for tackling head-on the imperfections of her body 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 the beauty in nature.

Her new poetry collection is called “Startlement.”

Limón spoke to us about the art of noticing nature, dealing with grief through poetry, and how to feel brave during hard times.

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