Catching up with the 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate, Alyssa Gaines

October is National Arts and Humanities Month, a time to appreciate and celebrate the crucial role the arts and humanities play in our lives. We sat down with Alyssa Gaines, 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate and Indianapolis native, to talk about how poetry enriches her life and empowers her to make an impact in her community.

Alyssa Gaines was raised on the Eastside of Indianapolis and is a recent graduate of Park Tudor High School. Her first experience writing poetry came from an assignment she was given in the third grade, where she was asked to write a poem about a color. Inspired by the assignment,  Gaines and her grandmother began attending youth poetry events and slams around the city. After her first competition — “Slams of America” in Washington, D.C. — Gaines realized just how far poetry could take her and how many people she could reach with her words.

As she’s grown older and continued to write, Gaines uses poetry to document her experiences with emotions like grief, loss and community healing. “The Eastside of Indianapolis is a diverse area and has a strong sense of community,” she said. “I owe my community a certain level of engagement and commitment to push us all forward because they have given the same to me.”

Earlier this year, Gaines was selected as the sixth National Youth Poet Laureate, a title first held by Amanda Gorman. National Youth Poet Laureate is a program of Urban Word, an organization that provides free literary arts education and youth development opportunities in creative writing, spoken word poetry, playwriting, college prep, literature and hip-hop. The program works with local youth literary arts organizations across the country to identify and celebrate exceptional youth poets who use their voices to inspire change. Gaines was supported by VOICES Corp in Indianapolis.

Finalists were chosen from a cohort of more than 65 poets from across the country. They were judged on their artistic excellence, as well as their commitment to civic engagement, youth leadership and social impact. For the 2022 commencement, held May 20 at the Kennedy Center, Gaines read her poem “Lágrimas Negras” — which means “black tears” — to honor Breonna Taylor. The poem is about the communal healing traditions of black women. 

Earning top scores across all categories, Gaines claimed the 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate title. As she serves her one-year term, Gaines will take part in speaking engagements and service opportunities. Currently she is in her freshman year at Harvard University. 

When asked what advice she would give to someone interested in writing poetry, Gaines replied, “I believe to be a good writer you have to be a good reader and a good listener. Immerse yourself into the world of written tradition. Begin writing with your emotions and the rest will follow from there.”

We’re honored to celebrate our own Alyssa Gaines as the 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate during National Arts & Humanities Month!