Our 2021 poetry preview, part 2

Also this week, why we hate to exercise, critics' picks and more by Petra Mayer [Poet Amanda Gorman reciting at the inauguration of President Biden]( Drew Angerer/Getty Images It's been a great week for poetry! National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman hit the top of the Amazon bestseller lists after her powerful recitation of her poem "The Hill We Climb" [at the inauguration of President Joe Biden]( on Wednesday. Her debut collection, also called The Hill We Climb, is due out in September. And our critic Craig Morgan Teicher (plus three poetic friends) is back with Part 2 of our mammoth look-ahead to the most exciting poetry of 2021. "Today feels like a different day, a new one," Teicher writes. "Our troubles are far from over, but hope and joy no longer seem ridiculous. This is exactly what poetry is for: to express — through sound, song, form, and feeling — what doesn't fit neatly into regular sentences, the uncertain sprouting of new possibilities." So here are a few of what he calls "[words to beckon you into this strange new year.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio, by Betto Arcos]( Our long-time pal, arts journalist Betto Arcos stopped by to talk to Weekend Edition's Lulu Garcia-Navarro about his new book, Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio. It's a collection of more than 140 of his reports, on everything from a samba school in Rio to a Lebanese trumpet player. Arcos says the "cosmic barrio" is "a place where you can find music that has to do with community, that has to do with identity, that has to do with coming together to create a peaceful, loving environment where people can have a great time." [Check that conversation out here.]( [Exercised, by Daniel E. Lieberman]( Sooo ... how are those New Year's resolutions going? (If you even made them, and TBQH, I didn't.) If you hate going to the gym as much as I do, scientist Daniel Lieberman has good news: Just getting up and wandering around for a few minutes every hour has pretty big benefits. "Even though you're not spending a lot of energy, you're turning on your muscles," [he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross]( and that "turns out to be a much healthier way to sit. So pardon me while I go get a snack ... that's exercise, right? Finally this week: In White Freedom, author Tyler Stovall defines the title idea as "the belief (and practice) that freedom is central to white racial identity, and that only white people can or should be free." Check out Ilana Masad's review [here]( and hear Stovall's conversation with Morning Edition's Noel King [here](. Randi Pink's new Angel of Greenwood sets a sweet love story against the tragic backdrop of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. [Critic Caitlyn Paxson says]( "I hope teachers assign this in schools and librarians turn it face-out on the shelves. American kids need to know this history to be good citizens." And The Uncollected Stories of Allan Gurganus is Gurganus's first book since 2013 -- critic Michael Schaub says it's [well worth the wait](. "The collection is Gurganus at his finest: funny, compassionate, and marked by the author's amazing ability to reflect the lightness — and darkness — in the souls of his fascinating characters." [White Freedom, by Tyler Stovall]( [Angel of Greenwood, by Randi Pink]( [The Uncollected Stories of Allan Gurganus]( I hope books bring you everything you need this week! -- Petra --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [books@npr.org](mailto:books@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]