A poet of the people reconnects to the natural world and finds a place to call home | Inaugural poet and writer Richard Blanco in Bethel, ME

Richard Blanco’s poem One Today, inspired the nation at Obama’s 2013 inauguration. Richard is the first one to tell you that he is unsure if he would’ve even been able to write the poem had he not been confined to his writing desk, surrounded by pine forests, piled high with snow, up on a hill in the ski town of Bethel, Maine. He even famously practiced his poem to a snowman audience in his front yard, several weeks before he made the journey to DC. Richard Blanco has always been in search of home - the pursuit of home and what it takes to make a place feel like home are common themes in his writing. The child of Cuban exiles, and an immigrant himself, he has always longed to find a place he belongs. Since moving to the country, Richard has written the inaugural poem, numerous award-winning books, and countless occasional poems. He also teaches writing workshops all over the world. The country has given him space, both mentally and physically, to write and time to focus on where he wants his career as a working poet to take him. Until moving from Miami to Maine, Richard didn’t realize that changing  his environment would help his creative focus and energy. By pulling away from the chaos of city life, he has been able to take a step back and write work that digs to the core of the human experience. Reconnecting with the inspiration of the natural world, feeling a personal connection to place and his local community, he has been able to reach new levels in his artistic expression and creative success. In our conversation, Richard talks through some of the struggles and sacrifices he has had to make to build and maintain his creative career opportunities in a remote area. His mission in life is to expose as many people as possible to the transformative and healing power of poetry. As of late, this mission has required him to travel a large portion of the year. His home in Bethel has begun to feel more like a retreat and maybe a little less like home. It is a place to recharge his batteries, a quiet place to write and a place to spend quality time with his partner. This has changed his perspective somewhat and now he is able to fully appreciate this as his chosen home and not a place where he Although someday he hopes to have a place in a city to visit, his time in the country has solidified his need to always have a retreat in the country where he can sit quietly and work. urbanexodus.cominstagram.com/theurbanexodusfacebook.com/theurbanexodusSupport the showSign up for Apple Podcasts premium or our Patreon Membership for ad-free listening, rapid-fire guest interviews & our new mini-pod Ditch the City. urbanexodus.com | @theurbanexodus | buy the book

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We are in the midst of a Great Awakening. In this uncertain world, people are changing course and getting back to their roots. This movement is happening all over the world. This is the Urban Exodus.Urban Exodus shares honest and inspiring stories of life transitions and transformations. It offers wisdom and practical advice for country dreamers, rural folk, and urban-dwellers alike, who want to feel more connected to the natural world and the purpose and choices in their lives.