Amanda Gorman, 2021 Super Bowl and inauguration poet, explained

Amanda Gorman captivated the nation when she became the youngest poet to ever recite at a presidential inauguration as Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. The 22-year-old recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” and earned praise for her elegance and artistry from Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jimmy Kimmel, and many more.

Gorman’s star has been on the rise ever since. The Los Angeles-born and Harvard-educated poet and activist will now grace us with another original poem at the Super Bowl LV. Gorman will make history again as the first-ever poet to recite at the Super Bowl.

Gorman has three books set to publish this year, starting with The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country. This book commemorates her breakout poem at the 2021 inauguration will be published on March 16th. But long before that book was even a thought, Gorman had two other books, The Hill We Climb and Other Poems and Change Sings: a Children’s Anthem, set to publish in September.

March and September may feel a while away, but Gorman’s preorders are open, and they have been rolling in. She has already landed a spot on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestsellers lists. Penguin Random House, her publisher, has ordered one million copies for her debut inaugural poem. That is not common for an author’s debut, and with her growing popularity, it probably won’t be the last time she reaches a million-copy run.

While there will be pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on CBS, Gorman will be a part of the pre-game field coverage at 6 p.m. EST. She will perform around the same time as the National Anthem, sung by Jazmin Sullivan and Eric Church, and “America the Beautiful,” sung by H.E.R. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET.

From her inaugural poem to her multiple book deals, her recent signing to IMG Models, and now a Super Bowl performance, it’s crazy to think that much of the nation and the world did not know Gorman a month ago. But as we look forward to her pre-game performance, she will stand on that field under much different circumstances, well known and highly anticipated.