Poetry Out Loud 2012

This past Saturday, I had the great pleasure of being a judge at one of this year's Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud semifinal rounds. I was in Framingham, one of the many cities hosting statewide competitions. 

For those not in the know, Poetry Out Loud is a national recitation competition. But it’s much more than that. This competition celebrates the power of the spoken word and helps to develop public speaking skills. These kids become the poems. I heard one student recite Phil Levine’s “What Work Is,” and I thought to myself, “Phil would be proud.” It is so much fun watching these students recite poems!

Statewide, a record 20,000 students have competed in classroom and schoolwide competitions. (Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the Huntington Theater in partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council.)


Come out this Sunday, March 11, to the Old South Meeting House in Boston and watch the finalists compete for top honors. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national finals.