 The president's budget proposal eliminates public media funding. Learn how you can help at lptv.org slash action. Well, former Los Angeles poet Laureate was in Brainerd this week, bringing over 100 people into the Chalberg Theater at Central Lakes College. Poet Louis J. Rodriguez read works from his many books of poetry and sonnets to students, faculty, staff, and the general Rodriguez talked to the audience about his own struggles of overcoming addiction and adversity and growing into a world-renowned poet, author and activist. You know, to me, inspiration comes from the small things and the big things. I think it's about being open to inspiration and everything. There's so much poetry out there. I feel like it's just a matter of kind of channeling the poems and getting them and then putting them down. So I get inspired by like today's group of people, young people, people coming up and telling me their story. All that inspires me to want to write and write and that's where it is, wherever I can, I find it. Rodriguez's visit was part of CLC's visiting poet program called Verse Like Water. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.