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.

National Finals of Poetry Out Loud Underway

At 9:00 am on Monday, William Whitham from Bangor High School will take to the stage in the Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. to represent Maine in the national final of Poetry Out Loud.

William is in the nation’s capital for the second year running after finishing in the top 12 of the contest last year. Once again he will compete against 53 champions from every state and territory in what has been an incredible year for this competition which began with over 400,000 students competing across the country.

During the final William will recite three poems from memory in front of an audience of up to 1,000 people. The poems he has selected for the final are “Come up from the Fields Father” by Walt Whitman; "Doña Josefina Counsels Doña Concepción Before Entering Sears" by Maurice Kilwein Guevara; and "Alabanza: in Praise of Local 100" by Martín Espada.

The schedule for William is rather grueling. After an opening banquet Sunday night, William competes in the first of the semifinals on Monday morning. On Tuesday morning there is a Congressional Breakfast in the Cannon House Office Building where William will meet with Senator Susan Collins, Senator Olympia Snowe and Congressman Michaud before being whisked back to the GWU in order to compete in the grand final (reliant upon his performance in the semifinals).

William’s family is here in D.C to cheer him on, and we are sure that there will be many well wishers back in Maine sending their positive thoughts.

You can follow Williams’s progress in the contest through the Maine Arts Commission’s tweets by visiting, http://twitter.com/MaineArts.

Poetry Out Loud Video

Enjoy the highlights of the 2010 Maine State Final of Poetry Out Loud. This competition began with over 4,000 students competing across Maine, and ended at the Waterville Opera House with 10 state finalists.

This video contains footage of the students competing at the final, and it also includes behind the scenes interviews with the students as they give their views on poetry and being part of the Poetry Out Loud competition here in Maine.

Blaine House Tea for Poets

Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, invited poets and lovers of poetry into the Blaine House on Thursday, April 9, for afternoon tea and recitals.

The event, organized in part by the Maine Arts Commission, featured noted guests, such as Maine’s Poet Laureate, Betsy Sholl. Other guests at the podium during the afternoon were Matt O’Donnell, Adrian Blevins, Carey Salerno, Jeffrey Thomson and 2009 Maine State Poetry Out Loud Champion, William Whitham.

Poetry Out Loud Maine State Final

On February 27, ten students, out of an incredible beginning total of 2700, from high schools across Maine competed in the state finals of Poetry Out Loud at the Camden Opera House.

The final, organized by the Maine Arts Commission, was a closely contested event that highlighted the exceptional talents of Maine’s students. At the end of the evening, William Whitham of Bangor High School was ultimately selected as state champion.

William now goes on to represent Maine in the national finals in Washington D.C. at the end of April, where he will compete for a $20,000 college scholarship.

Highlights of the finals, that include extended interviews with the students, can be seen on YouTube.