Column

Amanda Gorman Was the Light of the Inauguration

I felt numb at first, but the wisdom of someone 20 years my junior finally brought me to tears

Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman prepares to speak at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, I waited for the wave of relief to come over me. Friends were posting on Twitter and Instagram about how they hadn’t…