Our Founder & Poet Laureate: Representing NJ

An interview by: Matt Hoish

THE POET LAUREATE PROJECT

Melida's represents the State of New Jersey in THE POET LAUREATE PROJECT

National Project where one poet was featured from each state in the USA.

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

"Most states in the U.S. have a poet laureate or a similar position. The ubiquity of this role is worth pausing to contemplate. Somehow, a significant majority of American states—regardless of location, population size, or political leaning—have decided it is worth devoting publicly funded time and resources toward selecting and supporting government-appointed authors. These laureates take on different tasks and even serve for differing lengths of time in each state. But they all have a love for writing and a belief that sharing that love will do good in the world.

At a time of seemingly bottomless polarization and bitterness in so many corners of American life, what can we learn from these bards? What would it feel like to take a tour of this sprawling country via the eyes, ears, and sensibilities of its publicly-sanctioned poets? This series of audio collages is an attempt to do that." - Matt Hoish

CLICK BELOW for Melida's interview.

Melida's Website

Start Listening - Her Interview With Matt Hoish

ABOUT MATT HOISH:

I’m a writer and reporter who has worked in radio, television, and print. Most recently, I spent a little less than three years as half of the two-person news team at KOTO, a community radio station in Telluride, CO, where I reported on the COVID-19 pandemic, the environment, the local economy, arts, countless government meetings, and just about anything else you can imagine happening in a Colorado ski town. My work has also aired on NPR stations in Los Angeles and Boston as well as on the PRX shows The Kitchen Sisters Present and Living on Earth. I was also a writer for the PBS show Articulate where I wrote about creative people and how they see the world. 

My Articulate co-writers and I were nominated for a 2022 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series. My radio work has also been honored with awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Colorado Broadcasters Association.

My academic background is, broadly, in Environmental Studies and Science and Technology Studies. As a 2022 recipient of a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, I was able to pursue an MPhil in Anthropocene Studies at the University of Cambridge. The scholarship is awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to improving the lives of others. I received my B.A. in Environmental Science & Public Policy from Harvard University, where I graduated summa cum laude.

When I’m not writing or reporting, I’m probably reading, hiking, practicing piano, or listening to musical theater soundtracks.