Spirit Guide: The City of Knoxville's first Youth Poet Laureate says hardship is a privilege

By Chrissy Keuper

Published June 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM EDT

Melody Dalili, the City of Knoxville's first Youth Poet Laureate

The Urban Word NYC organization started the National Youth Poet Laureate program in 2016. Earlier this year, the City of Knoxville announced its first Youth Poet Laureate in that program: Melody Dalili is a rising senior at Farragut High School and has been writing poetry since the third grade. Dalili and the City’s current Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon spoke with WUOT's Chrissy Keuper.

Chrissy Keuper

Chrissy served as WUOT's News Director and host of monthly public affairs talk show Dialogue from late 2021 to early 2023. Her first job with the station was as weekend student announcer while earning her bachelor's in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee. She had previously been the station's local host for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered news programs; occasionally filled in as host for WUOT's Morning and Afternoon Concerts; and won multiple awards for her interviews, feature stories, and Dialogue.

See stories by Chrissy Keuper