Smithsonian director Kevin Young on the power of unexpected transformations

I like to say we're living in a precedent time, not an unprecedented one. How do we understand that? Being at the museum or writing histories both in poetry and in non-fiction are ways of trying to understand that. 

“Gatekeepers” hold an essential role in our culture as those in positions of power who determine what we see and hear — and therefore how we understand our world. The poet Kevin Young holds dual gatekeeping roles as both director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as well as the poetry editor for The New Yorker magazine. 

In this episode, Young talks about how he holds these responsibilities and likens reading a poem to entering into a museum. He also shares his belief in the power of unexpected transformations, which songs have brought him comfort, and how it’s always easiest to write about the place you’ve just left. 

References:

Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture

Public Enemy

Chuck D

Parliament Funkadelic

African American Vernacular English

Sister Sonya Sanchez

Langston Hughes

Gwendolyn Brooks

Harriet Tubman's shawl

David Hammonds’ African American Flag

Willie Nelson

Earth, Wind and Fire

John Coltrane's Love Supreme

I Want You - Marvin Gay

Mary Lou Williams

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Make Good the Promises

Ida B. Wells

Book of Hours - Kevin Young

Stones - Kevin Young