Amanda Gorman, who this month became the first poet to ever appear on the cover of Vogue, says she’s turned down millions of dollars in deals since her immediately viral performance at the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
In a Voguecover story interview with writer Doreen St. Félix, featuring photography from Annie Leibovitz, Gorman noted that her deal with the IMG talent management company—despite the timing of its unveiling to the world—had actually been in development since well before her inauguration performance of her “The Hill We Climb” poem.
As of late, Gorman says she’s elected to decline a number of high-dollar offers, altogether totaling an estimated $17 million.
“I didn’t really look at the details,” Gorman said when discussing one of these offers, “because if you see something and it says a million dollars, you’re going to rationalize why that makes sense.” As Gorman further explained, she aims to remain “conscious” of her personal aim when accepting offers of any kind.
For the full Vogue feature, the cover of which sees Gorman wearing a piece designed by Virgil Abloh, click here.
Last month, Gorman released a collectible gift edition of “The Hill We Climb” boasting a foreword by Oprah Winfrey. Amid Poetry Month festivities in April, Gorman highlighted a special teaching guide on her poem that was put together by Disrupt Texts.
This September, Gorman will release a new poetry collection—also including “The Hill We Climb”—via Viking Books.
