Poetry Out Loud
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 the Utah Arts Council’s Literature Program to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages Utah’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance.
For full details on this exciting national poetry recitation contest, visit www.poetryoutloud.org.
To get involved in Utah's Poetry Out Loud activities, contact Guy Lebeda via e-mail or call 801.236.7553.
2010 State Finals Date
The Utah State Poetry Out Loud Finals Contest will be held at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 11, 2010, at 7 p.m.
2009 Poetry Out Loud
Janna Tessman, a senior at Salt Lake City's East High, represented Utah at the national Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C. on April 26-28. As the Utah winner, Janna received $200 from Poetry Out Loud, and East High received $500 to purchase poetry books for the library.
The 2009 runner-up was Katie Harrington from Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City. The state finals featured students from 10 Utah high schools, from Ogden to Payson. Judges were Anne Cullimore Decker, Katharine Coles and Rob Carney. Blue Haiku provided music during the interludes.