A national poetry program for high school students will bring its northern regional final to Aroostook County.
The Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle will host Poetry Out Loud at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22.
For 20 years, Poetry Out Loud has encouraged young poets and worked to create community around verse. The goal is to “lift poetry off the page,” according to the organization, which works with the Maine Arts Commission and local groups. It’s rare to have the event in The County, officials said.
“It’s been some time since we’ve had competitors representing this region of the state,” state Poetry Out loud coordinator Brita Wanger said, acknowledging that travel is sometimes a barrier, particularly in winter. “All of us who work with Poetry Out Loud have agreed for some time that expanding the geographic reach of our regional events is the answer to removing this barrier for participation.”
The poetry recitation contest started 20 years ago, led by California’s then-Poet Laureate Dana Gioia working with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Wanger said. The idea was that engaging high school students with live poetry performance would boost their speaking skills, confidence and love of poetry.
The Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council administer the program statewide, with help from state Poet Laureate Julia Bouwsma, libraries and theater professionals. All Maine events are free.
Students get into Poetry Out Loud through their schools, libraries, after-school programs or other nonprofits, Wanger said. To compete, they memorize and recite favorite poems. Local winners then move on to regional, state and national competitions.
This year, Maine’s southern regional final was held Feb 4 in Lewiston and the central event on Feb. 11 in Bangor. Maine’s state final is slated March 3 in Waterville. State winners will move on to the nationals in May in Washington, D.C.
It’s an opportunity for kids to try out a new skill and network with their peers while boosting their love of literature, Wanger said.
“Engaging deeply with the poems that they memorize teaches them so much about how poems work, where they fit in historical context, and how poems new and old can speak to contemporary life,” she said.
Opal Walker, a member of the County Community Players, is the local finalist slated to perform, according to the Maine Arts Commission. State finalist Mercedes Plaud will recite at the event.
Nationwide, Poetry Out Loud has involved more than 4.4 million students in its 20 years.
Deputy Library Director Elyse Kiehn is coordinating the event at the Presque Isle library, and staff are working to turn the regional final into more of a community gathering to celebrate verse.
They’re calling it Cultivating Community with Poetry Out Loud, Kiehn said. Anyone who wishes to join in is welcome to recite a favorite poem.
It’s the first such event the library has hosted. Organizers are busy getting the word out and inviting anyone interested to attend, in hopes that those sharing poems will have an enthusiastic audience to cheer them on, Kiehn said.
“We hope this first year hosting will inspire the next generation of local youth to return to their schools enthusiastic about forming a [Poetry Out Loud] program for next year, and inspire local educators and poetry enthusiasts to help foster those programs,” Kiehn said.
Anyone is welcome to attend Cultivating Community with Poetry Out Loud.
For information, visit the library’s event page (click on Poetry Out Loud under “Attend” on the website), or the Maine Arts Commission on Facebook.
Correction: The story has been amended to add that Mercedes Plaud will participate.
