As the school year draws to a close, is there a teacher who has inspired you? NPR's poet in residence Kwame Alexander says his mother was his first teacher. He learned from her that "teachers are a ...

Poems can resonate with you for different reasons. Oftentimes, it is the exceptional beauty of a stanza (She Walks in Beauty) or a phrase (“flowers have been known to heal/a common man’s despair” from ...

You recognize this poem right away, I suspect. I recently re-read it and noticed that in view of contemporary events, it struck me with surprising force. I had tears in my eyes, actually. Emma Lazarus ...

Uncertainty is a word that pops up frequently in conversations. The pandemic, gun violence, international conflagrations, and the escalating number of climate disasters have increased our concerns ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. As the school year draws to a close, ...