Congratulations to Maine’s Poetry Out Loud Champion

On March 5, at the Waterville Opera House, Bangor High School student William Whitham retained his title as the Maine State Champion of Poetry Out Loud. On April 26, he will travel to Washington, DC. to compete at the national final in the hopes of securing the national title, and a scholarship amounting to $20,000. We wish him the best of luck.

Emma Bailey from Messalonskee high School was the 2010 runner-up in what was an exhilarating competition in front of a 200 plus audience that included Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, and representatives from Congressman Michaud’s office and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Photos: Bryan Bruchman

William Whitham received $200 for securing first place in the Maine final; his high school received $500 to support the purchase of poetry books for the Bangor High School library. Emma Bailey received $100 as runner-up, and her school received $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

If you have ever wondered how much work goes into presenting the state finals of Poetry Out Loud, you can watch all 12 hours condensed into 2 minutes in the short movie below. Using stop-motion photography over the entire day, this movie takes you through set-up, rehearsals, the competition and the take-down -all in a matter of moments-enjoy. You can watch more Maine arts videos on our YouTube channel.