Best of Design Matters: Ada Limón
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Who is Ada Limón and what is the focus of this Design Matters episode?
This episode of Design Matters originally appeared in March of twenty twenty six.
Sometimes they come out backwards, sometimes they come out almost done. And I realize I've been writing it for a long time. And so by the time I got to the page it's complete. And then sometimes uh it takes me months, even years to finish a poem.
From the Tet Audio Collective, this is Design Matters with Debbie Millman. On Design Matters, Debbie talks with some of the most creative people in the world about what they do, how they got to be who they are, and what they're thinking about and working on. On this episode, a conversation with Ada Limonde about how she became a poet and the power of poetry to bring people together.
Oh. There are other people that feel this way.
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Can real change come from listening?
We usually describe political distrust as citizens not trusting politicians. But I think it's a different way. We have like political distrust because politicians actually do not trust citizens.
That's Ryosuke Takashima, who at twenty-six became the youngest elected mayor in Japan's history, running the city of Ashia. His answer to that distrust? Stop assuming citizens can't handle it and start designing solutions together.
Sometimes citizens think, oh, this is my personal problem or personal issue. So it's the kind of waste of time to speak up. But this is not true. If someone speaks up and others agree with it, that personal issue becomes social issue.
Hear TED fellow Ryosuke Takashima's story and full conversation only on TED Talks Daily.
Ada Lamone is the author of seven books of poetry, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and Bright Dead Things, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent poetry collection is Startlement, New and Selected Poems. In 2022, Ada was named the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States. She served in that role for three years, bringing poetry into classrooms, libraries, and national parks across the country. Her many honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and she was named one of Time Magazine's Women of the Year in 2024 for being an extraordinary leader who is working toward a more equal world. Her brand new book is titled Against Breaking on the Power of Poetry.
Ada Lamone, welcome to Design Matters.
Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.
Ada, you grew up in Glen Ellen in Sonoma Valley, across from the Calabasas Creek in a landscape of hills, horses, and open land. Yet your pet of choice was a mouse you named Fred.
Hmm, yes, I did have a mouse named Fred. Tell tell us how you came to own Fred. You know, when my parents were divorcing, the nice thing about having a mouse is that you could carry the cage back and forth. And so for me, Fred was perfect because he was portable and he could come with me to each house. That was important for me to be able to bring my little mouse back and forth. Your
Your grandfather emigrated from San Juan de Los Lagos in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution and worked hard to assimilate in the United States. And I'm wondering, has that family history influenced you think about heritage and cultural identity?
Yeah, I mean I think it's hard not to live in the United States without thinking about cultural heritage and identity. I think that, you know, for me, I not only think about his journey and how proud he was of his American citizenship, but also how he struggled. to make it in this country. And I find his journey to be both inspirational and a little hard sometimes because he was a very prideful person and there are times where I know how much he was holding in.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Ada Limón and what is the focus of this Design Matters episode?
0:01–14:11
2
How did Ada’s childhood between two homes shape her sense of identity and poetry?
14:11–25:59
3
What inspired Ada’s early poems like “Before” and “Joint Custody” and how do they reflect her family experience?
25:59–38:03
4
How did Ada transition from theater and advertising to a full‑time writing career?
38:03–49:24
5
What impact did serving as the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate have on Ada’s view of poetry’s public role?
49:24–1:02:52
6
What themes does Ada explore in her newest book *Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry*?
1:02:52–1:13:25
7
How does Ada describe the creative process behind the poem “In Praise of Mystery” for NASA’s Europa Clipper?
1:13:25–1:15:00
8
What lasting advice does Ada offer listeners about writing, listening, and making change?
1:15:00–1:15:13