[Unedited] Richard Blanco with Krista Tippett

<p>The Cuban American civil engineer turned writer, Richard Blanco, straddles the many ways a sense of place merges with human emotion to make home and belonging — personal and communal. The most recent — and very resonant — question he’s asked by way of poetry is: how to love a country? At Chautauqua, Krista invited him to speak and read from his books. Blanco’s wit, thoughtfulness, and elegance captivated the crowd.</p><p>Richard Blanco  – practiced civil engineering for more than 20 years. He is now an associate professor of creative writing at his alma mater, Florida International University. His books of non-fiction and poetry include <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/looking-for-the-gulf-motel/9780822962014">Looking for the Gulf Motel</a> and, most recently, <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/how-to-love-a-country-poems/9780807025918">How to Love a Country</a>.</p><p>This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Richard Blanco — How to Love a Country." Find the transcript for that show at <a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/richard-blanco-how-to-love-a-country/#transcript">onbeing.org</a>.</p><p>This show originally aired in November, 2019.</p>