Caridad Moro-Gronlier’s father could not bring his copy of Lorca’s poetry when he left Cuba. But the verses he had learned in a classroom came with him. “It was portable when you couldn’t take anything else with you,” Caridad told me. That story says so much about Miami and the cultural in heritance we carry. It was also a fitting introduction to the first Poetry Edition of The Miami Book Hub, which debuted with Episode 41. Joining me as co-host for this new monthly conversation is Nicole Tallman, Miami-Dade County’s current Poet Laureate. Our inaugural guest, Caridad, served as the county’s second Poet Laureate prior to Nicole, and brings a longtime educator’s belief in everyone’s capacity to create. We’ve welcomed poets before, but I wanted to give poetry a regular home on the program. With these two at the table, we had plenty to talk about. “I think at the end of the day that’s what a poet is, a storyteller, an observer of sorts,” Nicole said. Caridad’s Generation 305 project puts that idea into practice, bringing younger and older people together to share their stories and turn those conversations into poems. Inspired in part by her grandmother, she wanted to preserve the experiences of elders whose stories might otherwise disappear. At one gathering, a grandmother and grandson discovered things they had never known about each other. They were family, yet there was still so much to learn. And, Caridad pointed out, no phones were involved. “People walked in silent and they walked out buzzing,” she said. I love that. With so much competing for our attention, I appreciate any excuse to put down the phone and hear someone else’s story. That’s the kind of connection I want The Miami Book Hub to encourage. We also explored ekphrastic poetry, which responds to another work of art. Caridad’s collection, Through the Lens, takes inspiration from images, places and everyday culture. A visit to Vizcaya led her to write about the people working behind its beauty, including a longtime caretaker. “But there would be no beauty without those people,” she reminded us. She also spoke about how grief and age have brought greater compassion to her writing, even as her concerns about the world have grown more urgent. I admitted that revisiting my own high school poems can be an adventure. Some are surprisingly good; others probably shouldn’t see the light of day again! But even the awkward ones remind me of who I was then. As Nicole observed, each book captures a version of the person who wrote it. For anyone wondering whether poetry is for them, our conversation offered an open invitation. “Anyone can write a poem if you set your mind to it and you set your pen to paper,” I said. Craft takes practice, of course. But getting started can be as simple as noticing something, asking a question or writing about a person who matters to you. Caridad’s advice was to read widely and take advantage of our libraries, readings and workshops. “I wouldn’t be here with you were it not for a library,” she said. That’s a good reason to visit one, pick up a poetry collection and see where it takes you. Learn more about Caridad Moro and her creative works at CaridadMoro.com, and explore the County’s various poetry initiatives at MiamiDade.gov/poetry. Watch Episode 41 of The Miami Book Hub, produced in partnership with Miami’s Community Newspapers, at TheMiamiBookHub.com. Subscribe to the podcast and newsletter, explore our columns, and share the conversation with a friend. Until next time… keep reading, keep writing, and stay curious. The post Poetry Brings Miami Together Across Generations appeared first on Miami’s Community News. ...read more read less