In Praise: A Conversation with Texas Poet Laureate & Founder of Torch Literary Arts, Amanda Johnston
About this episode
Amanda Johnston discusses her journey in founding Torch Literary Arts and her new book as Texas Poet Laureate.
In 2006 poet Amanda Johnston went in search of community and, when she didn’t find what she was looking for, Amanda built her own. Today, Torch Literary Arts is a resource and a destination for Black women writers and readers across the diaspora. Fueled by wisdom and writings from poets, novelists, and screenwriters, the organization’s exceptional programming and award-winning magazine amplify Black women’s voices, and has featured work from poets like Patricia Smith, Yona Harvey, and Toi Derricotte, screenwriters and playwrights like Jonterri Gadson, Charla Lauriston, and Lisa B. Thompson, and novelists like Tayari Jones, Crystal Wilkinson, and Sapphire. And at a time when Amanda is preparing for Torch’s 20th Anniversary celebration, “A Gathering of Flames,” she is also celebrating the publication of a new book in her capacity as the 61st Texas Poet Laureate, Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas (Host Publications, 2025), showcasing original praise poems commissioned from poets across the state, and seeking to uplift diverse and intersecting populations across age, gender, and BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, differently-abled, and immigrant communities. You can…
People in this episode
Guest: Amanda Johnston
Topics covered
- Black women writers
- poetry
- literary community
- Texas Poet Laureate
- diversity in literature
- 20th Anniversary celebration
Keywords
- Amanda Johnston
- Torch Literary Arts
- Texas Poet Laureate
- Praisesong for the People
- Black women writers
- poetry
- literary community
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Torch Literary Arts, Torch Magazine
Books & works: Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas
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