As a longtime civil engineer by day and a poet by night, Cuban American writer Richard Blanco has straddled the many ways a sense of place merges with human emotion to form the meaning of home and belonging. In 2013, he became the fifth poet to read at a presidential inauguration (he was also the youngest and the first immigrant). The thoughtfulness, elegance, and humor of Blanco’s poetry and his person captivated the crowd for this live conversation at the Chautauqua Institution. 

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 “Looking for the Gulf Motel” and, most recently, “How to Love a Country.”

Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Richard Blanco — How to Love a Country." Find more at onbeing.org.