Poetry Out Loud, February 2009

Poetry Out Loud Residencies

During the Fall of 2008, in collaboration with the Arizona Commission of the Arts, YWP began a partnership with the commission staff to help coordinate and facilitate the State of Arizona’s Poetry Out Loud recitation competition. Renee Simms, YWP Instructional Specialist, visited high school students to discuss the details of the competition and the benefits of school and student participation. Students were given a video presentation that featured student recitations. Students discussed which recitations they liked and why and then practiced reciting poems on their own.

In February, 2009, YWP worked with the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Poetry Foundation to host the state finals competition for Poetry Out Loud at the ASU Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference. Approximately 100 people attended the state finals which were judged by local artists Tania Katan, Merlin Hepworth, and Teniqua Broughton.  Sean Nevin and Arizona Commission for the Arts Director Robert Booker introduced the competition. YWP, through its partnership with the Virgina G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and the Arizona Commission on the Arts provided video equipment, promotional photos, programs, and overall event coordination.

The state finalists from Arizona were Alexander Longfellow Pinto, Erik Hollis, John Simon II, Katie Bartlett, Lilah Rose Edwards, and Tanya MacDonald. Erik Hollis won the state competition. He later traveled to Washington D. C. to compete in the national competition. Eric was among 12 finalists and 53 state champions from around the country who participated in the fourth national poetry recitation contest, sponsored by the National Arts Endowment and the Poetry Foundation. William Farley of Arlington, Virginia won the national competition.