Winner of National Finals of Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest Announced
Columbus Alternative High School senior Jackson Hille wins first prize
by Kathy Burgan

While he is a young man, Ohio senior Jackson Hille's humorously explored the trials of aging in the poem ''Forgetfulness,'' by Billy Collins, which helped win him the title of Poetry Out Loud national champion. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals were held Tuesday, May 16 at the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC. Hille was among 12 finalists and 51 state champions from around the country who participated in the first national poetry recitation contest, sponsored by the National Arts Endowment and the Poetry Foundation and local partnerships with the Ohio Arts Council, the Thurber House and Ohioana Library Association.

''I feel incredibly honored and grateful to compete with such strong competitors,'' said Hille, who said he first got involved when a teacher offered him extra credits to take part in the program. ''As I kept winning competitions, I realized that poetry was a powerful thing, that the person reciting the poem is a vessel between the poem and the audience.''

Hille received a $20,000 scholarship prize as Poetry Out Loud national champion. The second place winner was Teal Van Dyke, a senior at Bow High School in New Hampshire, who received a $10,000 scholarship prize. Also receiving top honors was Kelli Taulia Anae, a senior at the Mid Pacific Institute in Hawaii, who received the third place prize and a $5,000 scholarship prize. The schools of the top 12 finalists each received $500 for the purchase of poetry books.

Special guest judges presided over the competition, including poetry advocate Caroline Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic Michael Dirda, best-selling authors Azar Nafisi and Curtis Sittenfeld, and author, poet, and former NEA Deputy Chairman A.B. Spellman. Scott Simon, host of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, served as master of ceremonies.

The Poetry Out Loud National Finals featured three rounds of daytime semifinals from which 12 finalists advanced to compete in the evening national finals. The event was the culmination of a pyramid structure competition that began in January among schools in every state and the District of Columbia. At the classroom level, teachers have introduced students to the poems and educational resources, later leading students in classroom and then schoolwide competitions. Several states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wyoming, expanded their contests to statewide competitions. Poetry Out Loud awarded a total of more than $100,000 to state- and national-level winners. Each state-level final awarded $1,000 in prizes to the finalist, the runner-up, and their schools and each state champion received an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC. At the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, a total of $50,000 in scholarship prizes and school stipends was awarded.

The NEA and the Poetry Foundation each have contributed $500,000 towards the 2006 Poetry Out Loud program in support of materials, grants, prizes and the National Finals. Ohio received approximately $8,000 from this budget, with matching funds provided by the Ohio Arts Council. NEA grants to State Arts Agencies enabled them to implement the program in high schools in each state capital region, often in collaboration with local literary organizations. The NEA and the Poetry Foundation also provided free, standards-based curriculum materials for use by participating schools. These materials include print and online poetry anthologies containing more than 400 classic and contemporary poems; a Web site (www.poetryoutloud.org); a teacher's guide to help instructors teach recitation and performance; and a CD featuring well-known actors and writers such as Anthony Hopkins, James Earl Jones, Alyssa Milano, David Schwimmer, and N. Scott Momaday. The Poetry Out Loud National Finals were administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Poetry Out Loud seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry - recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of poetry as an oral art form, as seen in the slam poetry movement and the immense popularity of rap music among youth. Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the English classroom. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.

The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

Listen to Jackson Hille interview on NPR.

View article about Jackson Hille on Poetry Foundation Web site.

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