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WXOX @ Folklife 2025 TARA PRAKASK. MARYLAND YOUTH POET LAUREATE Tara Prakash Maryland Youth Poet Laureate Interviewed by Jordan Gray & Lila Hayden WXOX Next Wave Academy July 7, 2025 Tara Prakash, founder of the educational nonprofit Write to Right, became Maryland’s inaugural youth poet laureate in 2024 after holding the position for Montgomery County. Her poetry focuses on memory, aging, and time.  Being a poet laureate means having a platform for her to help others be vulnerable, make writing accessible, and explore questions. “Poetry is a really unique way of communicating, and it can do a lot that other means of communication just can’t—getting through to people, resonating with them, conveying something that you’re feeling to someone else,” Prakash said.  “You’re exploring a question or something you’re wondering about with other people, and oftentimes you’re trying to figure something out through a poem and you’re sharing that exploration or journey with the audience.” Because Prakash values this openness, teaching and promoting access have become lifelong goals , especially since she believes many young people have a narrow definition of what creative writing is and can be.  “It’s so flexible; there are no parameters,” she said.  “I feel a lot of [youth] think of writing as just something you do for an English class. It’s so much broader than that. It is a really powerful tool.” Prakash emphasizes that trust and community are two important aspects of using poetry for connection and social justice.  “Creating those spaces of trust and dialogue is a really big aspect of using poetry to communicate because, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your work, there’s a really limited amount you can do with it,” she explained.  “Having [a] community has been so essential in helping me broaden my sharing and be willing to use it to advocate.” When she’s done with her term as poet laureate, Prakash hopes that the program and position that she’s cultivated will continue to bring others into poetry and support her community.  “It’s my responsibility to create a title that’s robust, rewarding, and [serves] the local community,” she said. “[I’m] creating something that outlasts me, not something that, as soon as my tenure’s over, it dies out.”   Visit The 2025 Folklife Festival Website Find Smithsonian Folkife on Facebook Follow Smithsonian Folklife Festival on Instagram Check out Smithsonian Folklife Festival on YouTube Return to Folklife 2025 Episode List WXOX General Manager: Sharon Scott WXOX Chief Operator: Sean Selby WXOX Next Wave Director: Max $ Selby WXOX Audio Editor: Brian Manley If you have any questions please e-mail nextwave@artxfm.com

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