Fresh Air – Poet Ada Limón On Writing In Uncertain Times

Aired: October 6, 2025
Host: Tonya Mosley | Guest: Ada Limón (24th U.S. Poet Laureate)

Episode Overview

This Fresh Air episode features a rich conversation with Ada Limón, acclaimed poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, about her new collection Startlement: New and Selected Poems, her journey as a poet, the role of poetry in turbulent times, and how she’s sought to bring poetry into public life during her tenure as Laureate. The discussion delves into Limón's personal evolution, the challenges and joys of holding national roles, and writing in the face of climate crisis, societal unrest, and the ever-present tension between beauty and suffering.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Concept of "Startlement" and Its Place in Limón’s Work

• Startlement is both the collection's title and a featured poem, encapsulating two decades of Limón’s poetry.
• Limón describes "startlement" as “a forgotten pleasure, the pleasure of the unexpected... not being scared of being amazed, but also the way something can shove you off its center for a moment and being available to that moment” (03:32).
• The word, which feels “almost Victorian,” resonated with Limón as a collective noun for poems: “a startlement of poems, like a murder of crows...”.

Notable quote:

“At its core, it’s about wonder, about not being scared of being amazed.”
— Ada Limón (03:32)

2. Poetry and the Climate Crisis

Limón was commissioned to write "Startlement" for the Fifth National Climate Assessment—an unusual fusion of science and lyricism.

• She was urged not to make it "nostalgic" because, as a scientist said, "there is no going back... whatever happens next is the way forward" (04:34).
• The poem’s tone aims to accept change and foster unity across species and communities amid uncertainty.

3. Reflecting on Two Decades of Personal and Artistic Growth

• The new collection includes poems from Limón’s early 20s to her 40s, chronicling changing perspectives on loss, identity, and kinship.
• Limón speaks about “staring at the work you've made and start to think about... how it reflects... who you are as a human being and the people you've lost” (06:18).
• With generosity, she views this compilation as “an offering” to her past self.

4. Early Works and Evolution of Voice

• Limón reads her poem “Centerfold,” written at age 22, capturing childhood innocence confronted with sexuality.
• Discusses the dual perspective—childish awe and adult awareness:

  “As you age, you begin to understand the terror... and the danger that surrounds women... This poem wants to hold both of those things at the same time.” (09:06)

5. The Role and Responsibility of Poet Laureate

• Limón reflects on her unprecedented two-term tenure as Laureate:
  • A major project involved installing poetry picnic tables in national parks (the “You Are Here” project).
  • She had a poem engraved on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft (10:53).
• These roles were seen as national service, demanding both creative vision and public engagement.

6. "A New National Anthem" & The Poet’s Role of Critique

• Limón reads her powerful poem critiquing and reimagining what national symbols represent; originally written in a “fury” in 2016 (12:40).
  • She feared the poem could bar her from being Laureate, but it became a favorite of then-Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden.
  • The poem interrogates patriotism, honesty, and “the song that says, my bones are your bones... and isn’t that enough?” (13:58)

Notable quote:

“I think that poetry allows us to hold all of those realities and make space for the full spectrum of... truths.”
— Ada Limón (16:43)

7. Poetry in Public Spaces: National Parks Project

• Limón’s “You Are Here” project placed poems in national parks, offering unexpected poetic encounters with nature (19:05).
  • Observed visitors “get so quiet” and contemplative, hoping poetry would help “sing back to the places we love” and promote reciprocity with the world.

8. Finding Poetry Young: The Elizabeth Bishop Revelation

• Recounts reading Elizabeth Bishop's “One Art” in high school, which transformed her understanding of poetry from puzzle to music (22:22).
  • Limón was struck by the poem’s emotional progression and the potency of the “you” in poetry.

Notable quote:

“The art of losing isn’t hard to master... Even losing you. The ‘you’ in poetry is everything.”
— Ada Limón (reflecting on Bishop’s poem, 23:16)

9. Becoming (and Surviving as) a Poet

• Limón recalls the moment she and her playwright friend, in their “Pacific Northwest” kitchen, confessed their artistic dreams while splitting a tomato (25:17).
• Discusses the reality of doing creative work alongside “real jobs” in marketing and copywriting—never emotionally investing in ads, saving that for poetry.
  • Marketing taught her about “the absurdity of language” and helped develop a pragmatic, playful relationship with words.

10. Doubt, Service, and Poetry’s Purpose

• Limón acknowledges recurring doubts: “Sometimes it’s difficult to not think, ‘I need to immediately go into full-time activist mode’... then there are times where I think that poetry is my way of serving” (31:03).
• She reflects on the “beautiful doubt” that keeps her questioning poetry’s efficacy—and the importance of acknowledging practical needs alongside creative pursuits.

Notable quote:

“Doubt is so beautiful because I distrust certainty sometimes.”
— Ada Limón (31:03)

11. Public Voice vs. Private Self

• On shifting from Ada-the-poet to Ada-the-Laureate:
  • The Laureate is “a symbol... you become a part of something”; poetry becomes a representation of the art form and the country (37:04).
  • After her term, Limón is “returning to myself... embracing my strangeness again,” aiming for personal excellence and authenticity.

12. Tenderness, Vulnerability, and Representation in a Turbulent Moment

• Limón ties her identity and visibility (as a Mexican American woman) to the importance of representation for young people and the nation.
  • Advocates for “tenderness and vulnerability... when everything feels violent and horrific, to point out the beautiful thing” (34:23).
  • Strives to hold onto “softness” as both a radical act and a personal salvation.

Memorable Quotes

• “It’s about wonder, about not being scared of being amazed...” (Ada Limón, 03:32)
• “The art of losing isn’t hard to master... Even losing you...” (Ada Limón, discussing Elizabeth Bishop, 23:16)
• “Doubt is so beautiful because I distrust certainty sometimes.” (Ada Limón, 31:03)
• “Tenderness and vulnerability... is what we need right now.” (Ada Limón, 34:23)
• “I’m returning to myself... getting weirder. Embracing my strangeness again.” (Ada Limón, 37:04)

Important Timestamps

• 00:19 – Introduction of Ada Limón
• 01:55 – Limón reads "Startlement"
• 03:32 – On choosing the title “Startlement”
• 04:34 – Writing “Startlement” for the National Climate Assessment
• 06:05 – Reflecting on poems written in her 20s through 40s
• 07:48 – Reads early poem "Centerfold"
• 10:53 – National Parks project & NASA collaboration
• 12:40 – Reads “A New National Anthem”
• 16:43 – On the poet’s role as a critic of nation and tradition
• 19:05 – Experiences of sharing poetry in national parks
• 22:22 – Early encounter with Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry
• 25:17 – Deciding to become a poet with her best friend
• 27:06 – On balancing poetry with paid work
• 31:03 – Wrestling with doubt and purpose as a poet
• 34:23 – Tenderness, vulnerability, and public voice in difficult times
• 37:04 – Returning to authenticity after serving as Poet Laureate

Closing Thoughts

This in-depth interview brings listeners inside Ada Limón’s creative process, her philosophy of poetry as both public act and private reckoning, and her commitment to beauty and vulnerability in times of uncertainty. The episode is filled with Limón’s characteristic warmth, humility, and insight—offering not only a portrait of a writer at the height of her powers, but also hope and companionship for anyone grappling with the challenges of being human right now.