LAKE COUNTY — Several weeks ago, eight Middletown High School (MHS) students competed in the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest in their school library, each vieing for the title of school champion. Mellany Watson and Jennifer Harte tied for first place and Andy Scott and Bonnie Coit tied for second place. Other talented students included Hannah Bennett, Kallie Jones, Chandra DeVail and Jarrod Rudy. English teachers Hilary Devine and Lee Hoage enthusiastically encouraged classroom participation.
Recitation and performance are major new trends in poetry. There has been a recent resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of hip-hop music. Poetry Out Loud builds on that momentum by inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word and theater into the English class.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation”s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Each winner at the state level will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington to compete for the national championship. The state winner”s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books.
A runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends at the national finals will be awarded to the winners.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, the Poetry Out Loud county finals will take place at the Lake County Arts Council”s Main Street Gallery, located on 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport. Participating students from MHS and Richard E. Lewis Independent Study Center will each recite two poems before judges to determine who will advance to the California state finals in March. The public is invited and heartily welcome to attend this exciting event.
Poetry Out Loud is being sponsored by the Lake County Arts Council. This project is funded in part by the California Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts.
Editor”s Note: Michele Krueger is the Lake County Poetry Out Loud coordinator.
