Lee Hopkins: My name is Lee Bennett Hopkins. I am going to briefly talk about my collection, World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And I will also share a poem from the anthology. Needless to say, I was quite honored to be asked by Abrams, the publisher of World Make Way, to partake on such an exciting journey. The concept for me was to pair 18 pieces of famous artwork with 18 contemporary poets who would write interpretations of works by such greats as Fernando Botero, Winslow Homer, and the contemporary Kerry James Marshall. Reaching deep within their hearts and souls, poets such as Alma Flor Ada, Naomi Shihab Nye and Marilyn Nelson on their feelings, their emotions after a viewing a specific piece of art. For example, after studying The Portrait of a Young Girl by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, Marilyn Singer creates the poem Paint Me, imagining what the young model might be thinking after hours of posing. Paint Me by Marilyn Singer:

Hurry up and paint me. I have things to do, more than you. Streets, countries, continents to see outside of the atelier. I cannot spare more hours. I'm tired of this dress, these flowers. I'm a young girl, it's true, but I insist, world make way. You've captured my expression and the way I hold my hands. So, dear old man, please end this session. Hurry up and paint me. Finish today.

Art brings riches. Poetry elicits such language. Mesh both together and magic happens. Indeed, World Make Way.