Lauren Lin

Hands skin to skin, kindling warmth not to scathe, burn, or shove, but to love.

“I am Lauren Lin, a junior in high school. I write poetry to express the veiled aspects of my mind that may not be clear to me until written in verse. I believe in the power of poetry to both inspire and connect individuals from all walks of life. I hope my poems will serve as solace, hope, and kinship to everyone.”

AMERICAN DREAMS, a project by Mana Creative Futures, are language-based public art installations that use augmented reality to overlay digital content on a supported mobile device’s (iOS) camera. This project aims to transform shared spaces, promote ideas and messages of hope, cultivate a sense of belonging, and offer an opportunity to change, inspire, confront, and write ourselves into the kind of future we all want to see. Examples of featured content are 17-syllable poems (or American Sentences) on the theme of our possible futures. To overlay the digital content/AR poem, simply click on the AR link or scan the AR code. Slowly pan your device around as it looks for a horizontal surface to use as anchor. Tap your screen when a surface is found. The content/poem should be directly on top of that surface. There is no need to install an app.