I’m turning life’s toughest transitions into a full-time mission: recording timeless poetry and literature in America’s most scenic locations, visiting local libraries, and showing my children the beauty of resilience, art, and nature.

Recently, I sat along a quiet river in Teton, Idaho, with a camera set up and a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. With two fish drifting past in the background and the sound of the water around me, I began reading Song of Myself.

What started as a moment of solace quickly turned into a realization: this is what I want to dedicate my life to.

I have already recorded the entirety of Leaves of Grass, alongside timeless works ranging from Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” to beloved children's classics like Where the Wild Things Are and Dr. Seuss. During my recent trip through Idaho, I made it a point to create an original piece of art and write a poem at every single stop—capturing the raw beauty of the landscape through a mix of a GoPro, a vintage camcorder, and an iPhone.

With your support, I want to take this project from a passion effort to a full-time creative journey across America and beyond:

“Poetry in the Wild” Series: Setting up high-quality audio and video recordings in the most breathtaking natural locations on earth—from mountain streams to desert canyons—reading public domain classics, poetry, and children’s literature.

Library & Cultural Travel Documentary: Touring municipal and public libraries across the country, spotlighting local history, community reading spaces, and thrifted literary finds while hosting live public poetry readings.

Art & Spoken Word: Continuing to craft a custom artwork and poem for every unique location I visit on the journey.

How Your Support Will Be Used

To turn this vision into a sustainable full-time endeavor, funds raised will directly cover:

Production Equipment Upgrades: Replacing basic phone/GoPro setups with cinematic compact gear (such as a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and professional wireless lavalier microphones with wind protection) to deliver crisp audio and visuals in outdoor settings.

Editing & Post-Production Support: Hiring a freelance video editor so I can focus 100% of my time on location scouting, reading, artwork creation, and community engagement.

Travel & Documentary Logistics: Fuel, road gear, and entry fees to cover library visits, national parks, and scenic locations across the country.

Family & Foundation Support: Helping sustain my household and support my two kids while establishing this independent media project.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you aren't able to contribute financially right now, you can still play a massive role in building this community:

Watch & Comment: Check out the initial Leaves of Grass reading on YouTube ([youtube.com/watch?v=2fRQNEyhin0](https://youtube.com/watch?v=2fRQNEyhin0)) and drop a timestamp comment if you spot any of the fish in the background!

Share the Campaign: Pass this GoFundMe along to fellow poetry lovers, road-trippers, library enthusiasts, and art advocates.

Suggest Locations: Have a favorite hidden library, scenic river, or municipal park in your hometown? Drop it in the comments on YouTube!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, listening, and helping me turn a tough chapter into a story of art, literature, and family.

— Jean-Luc Maire