For All of Us, One Today

An Inaugural Poet's Journey

By: Richard Blanco

Narrated by: Richard Blanco

For All of Us, One Today is a fluid, poetic story anchored by Richard Blanco’s experiences as the inaugural poet in 2013, and beyond. In this brief and evocative narrative, he shares for the first time his journey as a Latino immigrant and openly gay man discovering an emotional new understanding of what it means to be an American. He tells the story of the call from the White House committee and all the exhilaration and upheaval of the days that followed. He reveals the inspiration and challenges behind the creation of the inaugural poem, “One Today,” as well as two other poems commissioned for the occasion (“Mother Country” and “What We Know of Country”), published here for the first time ever, alongside translations of all three of those poems into his native Spanish. Finally, Blanco reflects on his life-changing role as a public voice since the inauguration, his spiritual embrace of Americans everywhere, and his vision for poetry’s new role in our nation’s consciousness. Like the inaugural poem itself, For All of Us, One Today speaks to what makes this country and its people great, marking a historic moment of hope and promise in our evolving American landscape.

In 2017, U2 featured “One Today” during their Joshua Tree tour throughout the United States and Europe. The poem was projected on the stage screens as people entered the stadium to reflect and discuss America and the American experience.

2014 International Latino Awards Winner: Best Biography–Spanish or Bilingual

©2013 Richard Blanco (P)2024 Beacon Press Audio

Critic reviews

“This is a beautifully made record of an important moment in poetry.”—Booklist

“Blanco showed great courage…and it’s courage that is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”—Dr. Maya Angeleou

“This is the story of a poem. But it is our story too. The inaugural poet, Richard Blanco, shows us how ‘to love a country as if you’ve lost one.’ This is a wonderful, wise and incredibly personal book. There is something unique and deeply profound when someone like Richard, born in Cuba, writes about his love—our love—for America. Richard Blanco's journey is America's journey. This great book—a must read—allows us to see this country in a completely new and exciting way.”—Jorge Ramos, anchor for Noticiero Univision and host of Al Punto

“Richard’s story is at once deeply personal and uniquely, universally American. The specifics of our lives may not be the same, but we all share a relationship with a country that is an ongoing work in progress, and as Richard elegantly reveals through his experiences, what we do defines that work for those who follow. America shapes the people within her, and in return we shape America. This is a portrait of a nation and its people, each working to make the other better.”—Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union