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Podcast: Nebraska's first Black state poet wants to bring art to unconventional spaces
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Podcast: Nebraska's first Black state poet wants to bring art to unconventional spaces

Jewel Rodgers explained how she became state poet, talked about growing up in Nebraska and gave us a taste of her poetry at the end.
Credit: Courtesy of Jewel Rodgers

As the new poet laureate of Nebraska, Jewel Rodgers is working to ensure poetry can be found everywhere — even within local dive bars in the middle of Omaha.

Rodgers, who became Nebraska’s first Black state poet in January, joined the What I’m Reading podcast to discuss how she uses her platform to make poetry more accessible.

“Sometimes, I've performed at several bars. I'm not even joking,” Rodgers said with a laugh. “But to me, that's what it means — it’s to bring poetry into spaces that you wouldn't necessarily usually be exposed to the art form and to expand your understanding of what poetry can be or look like or sound like.”

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Jewel also touched on the process of becoming a state poet and growing up Black in Nebraska. At the end, she gives us a taste of her award-winning poetry.

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