Register Now for Poetry Out Loud 2013!

The Maine Arts Commission is pleased to announce that schools can now register for Poetry Out Loud quickly and easily online. Poetry Out Loud is organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and administered at the state level by the Maine Arts Commission. This program encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance; it provides a meaningful educational experience of poetry in written and spoken form. Prizes are awarded to successful students and schools at the state and national level, including a $20,000 scholarship awarded to the National Champion.

Last year, over 7,700 students and more than 200 teachers from 45 high schools across Maine participated in Poetry Out Loud. Ten finalists recited poems in a state final competition which was broadcast live on Maine Public Broadcasting Network and introduced the program to a larger audience. If you missed it, you can view the 2012 Maine State Final here. We anticipate that 2013 will be just as exciting, and encourage all teachers to consider giving their students the chance to shine in this nationwide celebration of poetry!

Register Now!

The Maine Arts Commission believes that the arts are an integral part of a well-rounded education. Through our Arts in Education programs we endeavor to create and support innovative arts learning opportunities that engage students and teachers alike in creative thinking, arts participation and the building of vibrant learning communities. You can find more information on the benefits of Poetry Out Loud, and all of the Maine Arts Commission’s educational programming by visiting MaineArts.com.

Poetry Out Loud Re-Broadcast

In case you missed it the first time, MPBN will be rebroadcasting the Maine Poetry Out Loud State Finals Monday, July 23, 10:00 pm and Sunday, July 29, 03:00 pm.

Presented by Maine Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. The Maine Poetry Out Loud competition finals were held at Bates College in Lewiston on March 23, 2012. The champion went on to Washington DC to compete in the National Finals.

Poetry Out Loud Final Available Online

The final of Poetry Out Loud was broadcast live by MPBN and is now available to view online. We will be providing links for those wishing to follow our state champion in the national finals in May. Now you can click the links below to enjoy the state final in order to see who we will be cheering for in May.

Watch Maine Poetry Out Loud 2012 Competition Finals on PBS. See more from MPBN Specials.

Freeport Student Announced as Maine Poetry Out Loud Champion

The Maine Arts Commission today announced Tyler O’Brien of Merriconeag Waldorf High School as the 2012 State Poetry Out Loud Champion and Kiana Sawyer, from Portland High School, as the State Runner-up. Both students will receive cash awards and their schools will receive prize money to purchase poetry books for their libraries.

After surviving classroom, school wide and regional level competitions, ten state finalists gathered in Lewiston to recite three rounds of poetry from memory in front of television cameras and a packed audience at the Olin Arts Center. Tyler O’Brien was selected as state champion and will now represent the State of Maine at the National Poetry Out Loud Finals on May 13-15 in Washington, D.C.

O’Brien, a student who plays the violin and guitar as well as representing his school in various sports and community projects was eager to compliment his fellow competitors, "It was very exciting to share the stage with nine extraordinary people,” he said, “and I am glad I got the chance to participate in such a great competition as Poetry Out Loud.”

O’Brien impressed a top panel of judges to become the 2012 State Champion reciting three poems during the competition: “A Super Market in California” By Allen Ginsberg, “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley and “The End of Science Fiction” By Lisel Mueller.

O’Brien will receive an all expenses paid trip for two to the national final, where he will compete for the national title and $50,000 in cash prizes including a grand prize of $20,000. All prizes, as well as all materials for running this popular program in high schools across the nation, come directly from the National Endowment for the Arts and their partner in Poetry Out Loud, the Poetry Foundation.

POL Live Broadcast Tomorrow!

Poetry Out Loud will be broadcast live from Bates College at 2:00pm this Friday. If you are interested in watching you can visit the MPBN site to link to the Poetry Out Loud video feed.
www.MPBN.net

Poetry Out Loud on MPBN

Here is a promotional spot for the state finals of Poetry out Loud. If you are interested in attending this live event you can register at mainearts.com

Sign up Now to Attend Poetry Out Loud Final

Join us for the Maine State Poetry Out Loud Finals March 23

The state final for Poetry Out Loud is coming up fast and the excitement is mounting for all involved. We have our ten finalist who will are vying to represent Maine at the national finals in April.

These students have already progressed through their school competitions and a regional final to be among the final 10 from approximately 8,000 that began this journey in December. They are already champions and we at the Maine Arts Commission congratulate them all.

Facing them now is a live televised final at Bates College. They will recite their three chosen poems in front of a packed audience at the Olin Arts Center in Lewiston and be watched around the entire state live on MPBN.

The final begins at 1:45 pm on March 23. There are still some seats left at this event. If you would like to join us please visit our eventbrite page and sign up today.

Check the list of our ten finalists below to see who you will be cheering for on March 23.

The 2012 Maine State Poetry Out Loud Finalists

Bethanie Brown, Waterville Sr. High School
Joshua Elwood, Bangor High School
Monica Frempong, Morse High School
Eloise Harnett, Gardiner Area High School
Brianna Housman, Searsport District High School
Avery Laderer, Boothbay Region High School
Tyler O’Brien, Merriconeag Waldorf High School
Makaela Reinke, George Stevens Academy
Kiana Sawyer, Portland High School
Ellyn Touchette, Gorham High School

Five Students Selected to Move Forward from Northern Final

Five more students are moving on to the Maine State Final of Poetry Out Loud.

After another amazing competition at the Northern Regional Final, Makaela Reinke from George Stevens Academy; Bethanie Brown from Waterville Sr. High School; Brianna Houseman from Searsport District High School; Joshua Elwood from Bangor High School, and Eloise Harnett from Gardiner Area High School will go on to the state final in Lewiston on March 23.

These five students came were chosen from among 17 school champions competing at the Grand Theater in Ellsworth. They competed through three rounds of live poetry recitation to be among the ten students who will recite in front of live television cameras on March 23 at Bates College.

The Maine Arts Commission wishes to thank the staff of the Grand Theatre, MPBN for their support, and most importantly all of the students that took part. We of course wish to thank all of the supporting teachers, parents and well wishers that came to the event to make it such an enjoyable afternoon.

News regarding the state final will appear shortly.

Five Students Selected to Move Forward from Southern Final

In an astonishing competition yesterday at the City Theatre in Biddeford, five students were selected from among 24 to move onto the state finals of Poetry Out Loud.

Students from high schools in the southern part of Maine competed through three rounds of live poetry recitation yesterday in the hopes of becoming one of the ten students who will recite in front of live television cameras on March 23 at Bates College.

Amidst staggering recitals five students moved to the top of the judges score sheets and were selected to move onto the state finals. Avery Laderer, Boothbay Regional High School; Ellyn Touchette, Gorham High School; Kiana Sawyer, Portland High School; Monica Frempong, Morse High School; and Tyler O’Brien, Merriconeag Waldorf High School were the successful students.

The Maine Arts Commission wishes to thank the staff of the City Theatre, our emcee Joshua Bodwell, MPBN for their support and most importantly all of the students that took part. We of course wish to thank all of the supporting teachers, parents and well wishers that came to the event yesterday to make it such an enjoyable afternoon.

We look forward to the northern final at the Grand in Ellsworth on Wednesday, February 15. We hope to see you there.

Poetry Out Loud Regional Finals Begin Wednesday

The Maine Arts Commission is proud to be working with our friends at MPBN this year to present Poetry Out Loud. This poetry recitation competition begins with around 9,000 students competing in Maine’s high schools and ends with the selection of one student who represents Maine in the national final in Washington DC.

We are now down to 44 finalists representing Maine schools statewide. To find 10 students to compete in a live televised state final we begin the first of two regional finals Wednesday, February 8 at 4:00 pm at the City Theatre in Biddeford. This event is free to attend. Show up and cheer on your favorite southern high school.

Listed below are the students competing in Wednesday’s regional final along with the name of the high school which they are representing:

Dillon Fox - Lisbon High School
Ian Andolsek - Cape Elizabeth High School
Isabella Maria Leon - Mt. Ararat High School
Kiana Sawyer - Portland High School
Dylan Chestnutt - Waynflete School
Grace Gilbert - North Yarmouth Academy
Ellyn Touchette - Gorham High School
Julia Cornell - Catherine McAuley High School
Kenyon Fraser - Oak Hill High School
Kaitlin Henderson - Deering High School
Austin Weigle - Kennebunk High School
Anna Lynn McKee - Greely High School
Iris San Giovanni - South Portland High School
Marina Affo - Lewiston High School
Jennifer Supinski - Sanford High School
Ellen E. Tuttle - St. Dominic Academy
Abby Scanlon - Berwick Academy
Tyler O'Brien - Merriconeag Waldorf High School
Hannah Grassman - Falmouth High School
Matthew J. LaMourie II - Yarmouth High
Reed Gordon - Biddeford High School
Avery Laderer - Boothbay Region High School
Candace Fowler - Scarborough High School
Monica Frempong - Morse High School

Apply Now for Poetry Out Loud Contractor Position

Job Description
In coordination with the Arts in Education Associate, the Poetry Out Loud Coordinator will be responsible for organizing the Poetry Out Loud competition in Maine. Following an established format the coordinator will work with schools to encourage competition participation, prepare for three finals (northern, southern and state), organize judging, entertainment, recording and reporting of the results.

Job Requirements
The Poetry Out Loud Coordinator should have a background or demonstrated interest in the literary arts, and have a minimum of a Bachelors degree. The candidate must have a reliable vehicle and be available to travel throughout the state. The successful candidate should have an understanding of administrative procedures. He/she must have excellent written and verbal communications skills, be highly organized, able to collaborate and work efficiently with several constituencies and be able to create accurate reports.

Contract Details
The contract amount is $4,900 paid in monthly installments until the end of March, 2012.

How to Apply
Please attach a copy of your cover letter, resume, and information for three references to an e-mail and send to darrell.bulmer@maine.gov. Please write “POL Coordinator” in the subject line. Please attach all documents to the email, embedded documents written in the body of the e-mail will not be accepted. Please format documents as Word docs or PDFs. Application deadline is 5:00 pm, Thursday, September 29, 2011.


Poetry out Loud Duties Overview

In coordination with the Arts in Education Associate, the Poetry Out Loud Coordinator will be responsible for organizing the Poetry Out Loud competition in Maine.

A complete established overview will be provided from previous competitions and the coordinator will have access to all document templates.

Poetry Out Loud in Maine has consisted of two regional finals and one state final. These events included no more than three rounds of live poetry recital, entertainment and refreshments. The events are open to the public to attend and are conducted in performance venues in Maine.

A high level of event experience and organization is a must as each event will require coordination with students, teachers, agency staff, performance venue staff, entertainers, caterers, judges, emcees and press.

The coordinator will have the flexibility to work off site, but work at the offices of the Maine Arts Commission in Augusta will be a necessity throughout the contract period.

Further details of the Poetry Out Loud Competition can be found by clicking here, or by visiting the website of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Poetry Out Loud Finals to be Screened Live Online

The National Endowment for the Arts is streaming live content at the Poetry Out Loud finals this week.

Friends, family, classmates, and others can watch the Poetry Out Loud National Finals without hopping on a plane! Both the semifinals (all 53 competitors) and the national finals (the top 9) will be webcast live as they happen on Thursday, April 28, 9am-8pm, and Friday, April 29, 7-9pm. Be sure to tell everyone to tune in during your semifinal! This is a one-time-only webcast, and will not be available for viewing after the event.

To watch this competition online please use this link.

Maine's State Champion, Lulu Hawkes, will compete in her semifinals from 9:00am-12:00pm on Thursday April 28.

The Maine Arts Commission has provided a short video of this year's Maine State Final to give you an insight into the competition thus far.

A Celebration of Poetry at the Blaine House

Maine's First Lady welcomed poets and lovers of the written word into the Blaine House today for a celebration of Maine poetry. The celebration, which formally welcomed Welsey McNair as Maine's Poet Laureate and featured poetry recitation from Maine's Poetry Out Loud Champion, was attended by over 70 people. The First Lady began proceedings by welcoming everyone to the Blaine House and going on to introduce Wesley McNair. Wesley thanked the First Lady and went on to outline his plans for the coming years as Poet Laureate. He introduced two new initiatives: "The Maine Poetry Express,” a “train” that begins in our northernmost town of Fort Kent, and makes it way south by way of “stops” that feature group readings given by poets in all the regions of Maine, including what are called “underserved areas,” from north to south and from east to west. The public will be able to purchase broadsides of work by the participating poets at each stop, and follow the train’s journey online at the Maine Writers and Publisher’s Alliance website, or on the new Maine Poet Laureate Facebook page.

The second initiative will begin immediately and continue throughout Wesley's tenure. He will sponsor a new column for newspapers across Maine featuring one poem a week by a Maine poet from the present, or from our illustrious past. The name of the column will be Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry, or more simply, Take Heart.

Wesley has already secured commitments to this column from all the major daily newspapers in the state, and more than a dozen others, from the coast to the far north, and every location in between.

The event concluded with two recitations from Maine's Poetry Out Loud Champion, Lulu Hawkes. Lulu captivated the audience with her powerful recitations and received an ovation from attendees.

Poetry Out Loud Results

The final state level event, organized by the Maine Arts Commission, for Poetry Out Loud in Maine took place on Friday, March 11 at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston, Maine.

After surviving classroom, school wide and regional level competitions, ten state finalists gathered in Lewiston to compete for the title of state champion and the opportunity to represent the State of Maine at the National Poetry Out Loud competition on April 27-29 in Washington, D.C.

After three rounds of recitations the judges selected Lulu Hawkes from Catherine McAuley High School as the 2011 State Champion and Morgan Wiggan from Thornton Academy as the State Runner-Up. Both students will receive cash awards and their schools will receive prize money to purchase poetry books for their libraries.
Lulu Hawkes

In addition Ms. Hawkes will receive an all expenses paid trip for two to the National Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C., where she will compete for the national title and $50,000 in cash prizes including a grand prize of $20,000. All prizes, as well as all materials for running this popular program in high schools across the nation come directly from the National Endowment for the Arts and their partner in Poetry Out Loud, the Poetry Foundation.
Morgan Wiggin

Poetry Out Loud Final in Lewiston Friday

The Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston will be the venue for a celebration of poetry this Friday, March 11, as a new Maine State Poet Laureate will be announced before the state final of Poetry Out Loud.

Poetry Out Loud is a national contest, organized by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, which brings together one high school student from each state and territory in the U.S. in Washington, D.C., to decide a national champion, who will receive a $20,000 scholarship.

Before the national final, students compete in Maine at the classroom, school, and regional level to be one of ten Maine finalists. These ten students, from an astounding 8,500 who began the competition in Maine, will be on stage reciting poetry in Lewiston.

Each of the 10 state finalists will recite three poems selected from an anthology of master works compiled for this competition. Competitors will be evaluated by a bank of judges based on their accuracy, physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding and overall performance. Cumulative scores from all three rounds will determine a state champion. The winner’s school will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. The second place finalist will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The evening will also feature the music of emcee Emilia Dahlin.

Doors for the event will open at 5:00pm on Friday, March 11, and the competition and associated activities will run from 5:30-8:00pm. All are welcome to attend free of charge.

You can watch a video of the 2010 state final on YouTube.

The students competing at this year’s final are:
Ian Hawkes, 12th grade, Gorham High School; Bethanie Brown, 10th grade, Waterville Sr. High School; Crystal Farrington, 12th grade, Lake Region High School; Lulu Hawkes, 11th grade, Catherine McAuley High School; Eloise Harnett, 11th grade, Gardiner Area High School; Morgan Wiggan, 10th grade, Thornton Academy; Bethany Bernhardt, 10th grade, Erksine Academy; Genevieve Shepard, 12th grade, Searsport District High School; Muyne Mohamed, 12th grade, Portland High School; Frank Schuth, 9th grade, Shead High School.

Northern Regional Poetry Out Loud Results

The Maine Arts Commission congratulates all competitors at the Northern Regional Finals.

On February 17, in Ellsworth, the majestic Grand Theater opened its doors to once again host the Poetry Out Loud Northern Regional competition. Twenty-one students from twenty-one high schools in northern Maine came to show their recitation skills in this annual event that included 8500 students from across the state when it started at the classroom level back in September.

The students presenting at the regional competition were all school champions, and by the end of the evening the judges had selected five to hold the title of Northern Regional Finalist.

These five students will join the five Southern Regional finalists at the state finals competition at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston on March 11, 2011.
The five Northern Regional Finalists are: Frank Schuth from Shead High School, Genevieve Shepard from Searsport District High School, Eloise Harnett from Gardiner Area High School, Bethany Bernhardt from Erskine Academy, and Bethanie Brown from Waterville Senior High School.

Poetry Out Loud Southern Regional Results Announced

On Thursday February 10, over 150 students, teachers, and family members gathered at the City Theater in Biddeford for the Southern Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition, organized by the Maine Arts Commission. The 22 students in the competition were all Poetry Out Loud school champions or runners up who began the season at the classroom level in a field of 8500 students from 45 public, private, and parochial schools from across the state.

The competition included two rounds for each student to recite a poem selected from a list compiled by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Round three heard the top 10 semi-finalists recite a third poem and cumulative scores from a bank of four judges determined the five finalists from the southern region who will compete in the State Final Poetry Out Loud Competition on Friday March 11, at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston. At the State Final the five students from the southern region will compete against five students from the northern region for the title of State Champion and an all expenses paid trip to Washington, DC for the National Poetry Out Loud Championship. The Northern Regional competition is set to take place at 4:00pm on Thursday February 17 at the Grand in Ellsworth.

The five students that will progress from the Southern Regional Final are pictured below.
From left to right:
Lulu Hawkes from Catherine McAuley High School
Ian Hawkes from Gorham High School
Munye Mohamed from Portland High School
Morgan Wiggan from Thornton Academy
Crystal Farrington from Lake Region High School

Poetry Out Loud Southern Regional at City Theater in Biddeford

There are 8,500 students taking part in this year’s Maine Poetry Out Loud Competition. These students hail from 45 schools and are supported by 250 teachers. The first of two Maine regional competitions begins at 4:00pm on Thursday, February 10, at the City Theater in Biddeford. The event is free and open for all to attend.

Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. During the early part of the year, schools are invited to participate in classroom and schoolwide contests, advancing to a state competition on March 11. State champions will advance to the National Finals, to take place on April 28-29, 2011, in Washington, DC.

Students from the following schools will be competing in Biddeford tomorrow, where five will be chosen to advance to the state final in March. This competition is always an amazing event and your support is welcome.

Southern Regional Competing Schools

Berwick Academy- South Berwick
Catherine Mcauley High School- Portland
Cape Elizabeth High School- Cape Elizabeth
Deering High School- Portland
Gorham High School- Gorham
Greely High School- Cumberland
Hyde School- Bath
Kennebunk High School- Kennebunk
Lake Region High School- Naples
Lewiston High School- Lewiston
Lisbon High School- Lisbon Falls
Morse High School- Bath
Mt. Ararat High School- Topsham
Noble High School- North Berwick
North Yarmouth Academy- Yarmouth
Oak Hill High School- Wales
Portland High School- Portland
Sanford High School- Sanford
South Portland High School- South Portland
St. Dominic Academy- Auburn
Thornton Academy- Saco
Waynflete School- Portland
Westbrook High School- Westbrook

Maine's Poetry Out Loud Champion Interviewed in Washington

Staff members of the Maine Arts Commission are preparing for the sixth year of Poetry Out Loud in Maine. This national poetry recitation contest is presented through a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

More schools have signed up for this year's contest than for any previous year, and as final preparations are being made, it is nice to share a success story from our state champion from the previous two years.

William Whitham, from Bangor High School, was recently asked to recite poetry in Washington, DC., as part of the National Book Festival. William was interviewed during this event. You can access this interview below.



There are still some places left for those interested in this year's contest. For more information on the program please visit http://poetryoutloud.org/ Maine teachers wishing to sign their school up for the competition should e-mail John Holdridge at the Maine Arts Commission at john.holdridge@maine.gov. Please put “POL” in the subject heading of your e-mail.

Young Poets Sought for National Competition

The beginning of another school year marks the beginning of another round of Poetry Out Loud in Maine. The Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, announces their call to schools wishing to participate in this national poetry recitation competition.

This year the Maine Arts Commission has arranged to increase the number of spaces available so that 50 schools may compete. All participating schools will be able to send a finalist to one of two regional competitions and one state finalist will receive an all expenses paid trip for two to the National Poetry Out Loud Finals in Washington, D.C., where they will compete for the national title and a $20,000 college scholarship.

For more information on the program please visit http://poetryoutloud.org/ Maine teachers wishing to sign their school up for the competition should e-mail John Holdridge at the Maine Arts Commission at john.holdridge@maine.gov. Please put “POL” in the subject heading of your e-mail.

Highlights from last year's final can be seen below.