Tyler Meier is the director of the University of Arizona Poetry Center and the co-editor of Dear Vaccine: A Global Vaccine Poem, a project that invited anyone to share experiences of the pandemic and vaccination through poetry.
What business poetry, you might ask? Because poetry, as Tyler says it, is marching away at the atomic level of our communication.
“Our lives are shaped by the language around us and the language that we choose to use. As beings based in language, poetry, I think, is the opportunity to teach us each day new ways of thinking about the language that we use to describe the things that matter greatly to us, the challenges that vex us enormously. We know that the future is one that we're going to share, regardless of what connects us or keeps us separate from each other. And we know that language is something that forms us and that gives us the sort of power to think in new ways about the challenges that we share.”
Dear Vaccine is an outgrowth of the Global Vaccine Project launched in March 2021 by the University of Arizona and Kent State University. In sum, it features selections from over 2,000 poetry submissions from all fifty states and more than 150 countries. And while the project features incredible global voices speaking to the pandemic, it serves the dual purpose of uniting us, filling in the holes that form through the haze of memory, a reminder that pandemic history is our history, and that if we can come through that, then we can come through anything together.
Our great thanks to Tyler Meier for joining us on the show this week. Pick up your own copy of the book and learn more about the project at
GlobalVaccinePoem.com.
- (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
- (02:24) - Introducing Tyler Meier
- (09:29) - Filling in Holes in History
- (18:48) - The 6-Word Memoir and the Pandemic Time Capsule
- (23:14) - The Question of Platforms
- (25:44) - Learn More
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What is Mission Forward with Carrie Fox?
Mission Forward: An award-winning podcast for communicators on a mission.
Hosted by social impact expert and B Corp leader Carrie Fox, each episode of Mission Forward explores the power of communications. With just the right mix of practical and thought-provoking content, we take on the issues that matter to you, and that support your work as a communicator for change.
Together, we talk through topics that you’re likely experiencing right now: from how to tackle tough conversations; to how to best challenge stereotypes; to how we can build bridges across the issues that divide us. If you’re working to become a more inclusive and thoughtful communicator, there’s nothing holding you back—except you.
About Season 9
Communication is essential to moving missions forward. Whether you’re trying to advance a strategic goal, drive change in an organization or raise funds to increase your impact, how you communicate matters. And with the noise of today’s world, it matters even more that your message be delivered, heard, remembered, AND acted upon. Getting there requires more than words.
We’ve entered a consequential year. Every decision will matter. Care, courage, and civility will matter too.
On season 9 of the Mission Forward podcast, host and social impact communications expert Carrie Fox will be with you through it all. With episodes dropping every Thursday, this season will feature a host of thought leaders who will share their take on this critical year and how they navigate the issues ahead. We’ll dig into key issues you’re facing, we’ll inspire you with fresh ideas and practical insights, and we’ll show you how to apply the key practices of courageous leadership to your work. Come along as we practice a more-than-words approach to communications and leadership.
* About the Host (https://www.missionforward.us/about-carrie)
* Listen to Past Episodes (https://www.missionforward.us/episodes)