Watch Wyoming's Sara Ellingrod in live webcast today for Poetry Out Loud semifinals in D.C.

Sara Ellingrod (center) receives her first-place award for the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition  March 1 from Secretary of State Max Maxfield (left) and Wyoming Poet Laureate David Romtvedt.

Sara Ellingrod, a ninth-grader at Arvada-Clearmont High School in Sheridan County, will be representing Wyoming in the national finals today in Washington, D.C. She will be competing against 16 other state champions from the Western states from 5-8 p.m. (EDT) at the historic Lincoln Theater.

Ellingrod will be one of the youngest competitors. She also comes from one of the smallest schools -- there are 23 students in grades 9-12 at Arvada-Clearmont. This is the second straight year that a student from her school has represented Wyoming at the national finals.

Poetry Out Loud is co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. In Wyoming, the Poetry Out Loud program is administered by the Wyoming Arts Council. For more info, contact Linda Coatney at the WAC at 307-777-7742.

You can watch the semifinals and finals live by clicking here

FMI: http://nea.gov/national/poetry/index.html#

Sara Ellingrod of Arvada-Clearmont H.S. named winner of Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition

Sara Ellingrod, a ninth-grader at Arvada-Clearmont High School in Sheridan County, is this year’s winner of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud finals held in Cheyenne on Monday.

As this year’s champion, Ellingrod receives an expenses-paid trip with a chaperone to Washington, D.C., where she will represent Wyoming at the Poetry Out Loud finals, April 28-29.

Ellingrod receives $200 and a poetry anthology. She also earned a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books for her school.

This is the second straight year that a student from Arvada-Clearmont High School has won the Wyoming competition. There are 23 students in grades 9-12.

Additionally, for the first time, two runner-up awards were presented. Receiving runner-up honors are Tyler Clementson of Shoshoni High School and Jon Adams of Cheyenne East High School.

Both Clementson and Adams receive $100 and a poetry anthology. Also, their schools receive a $200 stipend to buy poetry books.

The awards were presented Tuesday in a State Capitol Rotunda ceremony by Secretary of State Max Maxfield and Wyoming Poet Laureate David Romtvedt from Buffalo.

In addition to Ellingrod, Clementson and Adams, ten other students – the most ever for the competition – participated. Those students are Eddie Collins, Dubois; Alicia Juanita Sanchez, Ft. Washakie School; Pheonix Hardin, Whiting High School in Laramie; Bryce McKenzie, Buffalo High School; Hannah Hout, Star Lane Center in Casper; Marco Dominguez, Kaycee High School; Alyssa Prado, Cheyenne South High School; Raena Bush, Sundance High School; Maddison Nielson, Jackson High School; and Izzy Jack, Cheyenne Central High School.

Judges for this year’s competition were Maxfield; Sophia Puccini, poet and dancer from Saratoga; and special guest judge, Detroit writer and poet M.L. Liebler.

The Wyoming Arts Council invites high school students involved in creative writing, drama and speech and debate to encourage their teachers to sign up for next year’s Poetry Out Loud program. The WAC will send out registration information in September.

FMI: Linda Coatney at the WAC at 307-777-6393 or lcoatn@state.wy.us. For info Poetry Out Loud please visit www.poetryoutloud.org/ .

Wyoming Poetry Out Loud awards presentation set for 10:30 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda

Trek on down to the Wyoming State Capitol Rotunda for the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud awards announcement at 10:30 a.m. today. State Parks and Cultural Resources Director (and musician and theatre guy) Milward Simpson will serve as emcee and Secretary of State Max Maxfield (he'll be seen as The Cat in the Hat this week reading to students at various schools) will hand out the awards. Come down to the Capitol and celebrate the arts in Wyoming.

For those who attended the state finals last night at the Historic Atlas Theatre, you know what a great batch of  competitors Wyoming had this year. The program keeps growing. If you're a teacher or a student, grades 9-12, give the Wyoming Arts Council a call at 307-777-7742 for more info. You may also e-mail Linda Coatney at lcoatn@state.wy.us.

See you at the Capitol...

Just think of it as The Sixth Annual State of Wyoming Poetry Bee

You're invited to the state finals of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition at 7 p.m. this evening at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. The event is free and open to the public. It's sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Competing will be 13 students in grades 9-12 from schools around the state:

Bryce McKenzie – Buffalo

Eddie Collins – Dubois

Jon Adams – Cheyenne East HS

Pheonix Hardin – Laramie 

Hannah Hout – Casper

Alicia Juanita Sanchez – Ft. Washakie

Alyssa Prado – Cheyenne South HS

Tyler Clementson – Shoshoni

Sara Ellingrod – Arvada/Clearmont

Raena Bush – Sundance

Marco Dominguez – Kaycee

Maddison Nielsen – Jackson

Izzy Jack – Cheyenne Central HS 

The students will compete in three rounds of poetry recitation. Judges are M.L. Liebler, a performance poet from Detroit; Max Maxfield, Wyoming Secretary of State; and Sophia Puccini, dancer and poet from Saratoga. 

The winner will go to Washington, D.C. on an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at the national level, with 52 other contestants. The state winner also receives $200 and the winner’s school, $500 for the purchase of poetry books. The state runner-up receives $100 and their school, $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

P.S.: You could consider this a warm-up for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which opens March 18 at the Atlas. Get more info at http://www.cheyennelittletheatre.org. 

Poetry and music Feb. 26 at the Atlas Theatre

Detroit performance poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis will perform Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m., at the Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Tix are $5 general admission, $3 for students, military and seniors. M.L. and Peter are in town as part of the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud project sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Poetry Foundation. More info at http://wyoarts.state.wy.us.

M.L. this to say about the Saturday performance:

"We'll do some of the songs that are sort of more or less poetic, songs we've written together and then Peter will perform acoustically some of the Moby Grape songs from his group, some of his own original pieces. We kind of have a nice little set where we're merging some of what we do together, some of my poetry in music, some of his Moby Grape and some of his original."

Liebler and Lewis perform in Cheyenne

Two Generations of Beats & Hippies from Motown to California

Barnes & Noble award winner and internationally known Detroit poet M.L. Liebler and Moby Grape legend Peter Lewis will perform in Cheyenne on Saturday, February 26 at the Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. Showtime is 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $3 for students, seniors (that includes old beats and hippies) and military.

In addition, they will facilitate a workshop on Sunday, February 27 at the Laramie County Public Library from 2-4 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

These performances are being held in conjunction with Wyoming's Poetry Out Loud state competiton and awards ceremony. M.L. will also be a judge for the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud state competition which takes place on February 28 at the Atlas Theatre, beginning at 7 pm. Wyoming's own poet laureate David Romtvedt will also recite poetry and talk to the competitors before the competition kicks off. Other judges for the evening are Saratoga poet Sophia Puccini and Secretary of State Max Maxfield. Watch as high school students compete in three rounds of poetry recitation. Two outstanding Wyoming students will be selected as winner and runner-up. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete against 53 other state and territory winners for the grand prize of a $20,000 college scholarship. Other scholarship monies are awarded to the second and third place and district national winners.

Peter Lewis is undoubtedly one of the most underrated musicians and contributors to come out of the 1960's rock & roll generation. Lewis was born into a show business family, and is the son of a renowned actress, the late Loretta Young.


Along with Poet Laureate, writer, performer & teacher M.L. Liebler from Detroit, these two artists take their audience on a historical, cultural & literary journey from poetry to blues, folk and rock up to original contemporary compositions of both poetry and music. Together they blend words & music with beautiful harmonies, memories and the art of spoken word.

Peter Lewis was a founding member of Moby Grape - one of the most influential and sought after American bands of its time. Moby Grape released their debut album in 1967, and it is still to this day one of the most revered rock albums of all times according to Rolling Stone magazine and other cultural critics. The band's energetic and hyper-exciting combination of folk, blues, country was a unique sound to rock & roll. It was a new kind of American roots music but the band's career never took off the way it should have, due to personal tragedies. It took Peter Lewis a long time to shake off the troubled legacy of his band and begin to make his mark again with a stellar singer songwriting recording career. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this living legend perform.

M.L. Liebler has written several books of poetry including the 2001 Finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize and winner of The 2001 Wayne State University Board of Governors’ Award. He has read and worked with Ed Sanders, Diane di Prima, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary & William Burroughs. In addition, Liebler has recorded his poetry with such musical legends as Al Kooper, Country Joe McDonald, Jorma Kaukonen, Mike Watt, The Magic Poetry Band and many others.

To learn more about Moby Grape & Peter Lewis:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17498799

Check out M.L. Liebler - http://www.mlliebler.com/

Detroit performance poet and 60s psychedelic music pioneer team up for Feb. 26 show in Cheyenne

Detroit author and performance poet M.L. Liebler and L.A. musician Peter Lewis (shown in photo at right) one of the founding members of Moby Grape, will perform at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne on Saturday, Feb. 26. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $5, $3 for students, military and seniors (including over-the-hill hippies).

On Sunday, Feb. 27, Peter and M.L. will conduct a free public workshop at the Laramie County Public Library from 2-4 p.m.

On Monday, Feb. 28, M.L. will serve as one of three judges for the 2011 Wyoming Poetry Out Loud competition. The competition begins at 7 p.m. at the Atlas Theatre. Peter will perform a short performance during intermission. This event is free and open to the public.

These events are all sponsored by the Wyoming Arts Council, the Poetry Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Here is some bio info on M.L. and Peter:

One of our judges for the Poetry Out Loud event will be M.L. Liebler, a mover and shaker in the Detroit poetry scene. He has written several books of poetry including the 2001 Finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize and was winner of The 2001 Wayne State University Board of Governors’ Award. He has read and worked with Ed Sanders, Diane di Prima, Michael McClure, Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary & William Burroughs.

In addition, Liebler has recorded his poetry with such musical legends as Al Kooper, Country Joe McDonald, Jorma Kaukonen, Mike Watt, The Magic Poetry Band and many others. Liebler also edited the recently released anthology, Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams, (Coffee House Press).

M.L. has worked with the Wyoming Arts Council before – as one of the judges for the FY 2002 creative writing fellowships and as a presenter at one of the last ARTSPEAK conferences, held in Jackson in the fall of 2001. As director of the Detroit YMCA Writer's Voice, he came to Cheyenne in 2002-2003 at the request of the YMCA to conduct poetry and music presentations and workshops with Woodstock legend Country Joe MacDonald.

Peter Lewis is a founding member of the 1960s band Moby Grape. Their debut album was released in 1967, and it is still to this day one of the most revered rock albums of all times according to Rolling Stone magazine and other cultural critics. The band's energetic and hyper-exciting combination of folk, blues, and country was a unique sound to rock & roll. It was a new kind of American roots music but the band's career never took off the way it should have, due to personal tragedies. It took Peter Lewis a long time to shake off the troubled legacy of his band and begin to make his mark again with a stellar singer/songwriting recording career. Don’t miss out on the chance to see this living legend perform.

M.L. and Peter perform together (see photo at right). These two artists take their audience on a historical, cultural & literary journey from poetry to blues, folk and rock up to original contemporary compositions of both poetry and music. Together they blend words & music with beautiful harmonies, memories and the art of spoken word.

FMI: Wyoming Arts Council and 307-777-7742.

A conversation with the national Poetry Out Loud winner

Amber Rose Johnson was the 2010 national Poetry Out Loud champion. She is well-spoken and has a terrific handle on the complexities poetry. See her interview on PBS at
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2010/04/conversation-winner-of-the-2010-poetry-outloud-national-recitation-contest.html

Arvada-Clearmont senior wins Wyoming Poetry Out competition in Cheyenne

(l) Judah Lovato, WY POL winner and (r) Laura Hofstad, WY POL runner-up

Judah Lovato, a senior at Arvada-Clearmont High School in Sheridan County, was named state champion at the Wyoming Poetry Out Loud finals March 2 in Cheyenne. He will receive an expenses-paid trip with a chaperone to Washington, D.C., for the Poetry Out Loud national finals April 26-27.

Second place went to Laura Hofstad, a student at Star Lane Center in Casper.

The awards were presented by First Lady Nancy Freudenthal and Wyoming Secretary of State Max Maxfield at a March 2 ceremony in the State Capitol Rotunda. Master of ceremonies for the event was Milward Simpson, director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

First-place finisher also receives $200 and a selection of books. His school receives a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Second-place finisher receives $100 and a selection of books. Her school receives a $200 stipend to buy poetry books.

Lovato, Hofstad and nine other students competed in the state finals March 1 at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. They were Julia Collins, Dubois; Laura Delgado, Big Piney; Jamie Fegler, Riverton; Sadie Fulton, Whiting High School in Laramie; Abigail Geringer, Wheatland; Jamie Johnson, Lyman; Paige Russell, East High School, Cheyenne; Gwen Withem, Buffalo; and Samantha Wittig, Jackson.

Judges for the March 1 competition were Max Maxfield of Cheyenne, actor and director Macey Mott from Jackson, and award-winning author and UW professor of science and humanities Jeff Lockwood of Laramie.

Special guests were Wyoming Poet Laurate David Romtvedt and Laura Scanlan, director of State & Regional Partnerships for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wyoming Arts Council's federal partner in Washington, D.C.

The Wyoming Arts Council invites high school students involved in creative writing, drama, and speech-and-debate to encourage their teachers to sign up for next year's Poetry Out Loud program. The WAC will send out registration information in September 2010.

For more information, contact Linda Coatney at the WAC at 307-777-6393 or lcoatn@state.wy.us. Find out more about Poetry Out Loud at http://www.poetryoutloud.org/.

Wyoming Poetry Out Loud winners to be announced this morning at Capitol Rotunda

Eleven students (grades 9-12) from throughout the state competed last night at the Wyoming finals for Poetry Out Loud. The event was held at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne.

Which of these talented students will win an expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to compete at the Poetry Out Loud finals?

Find out this morning at the awards ceremony in the Wyoming Capitol Rotunda at 8:30 a.m. First Lady Nancy Fruedenthal will serve as guest presenter.

FMI: 307-777-7742.

Poetry Out Loud state competition March 1-2

Getting ready for Poetry Out Loud, I've asked people if they could recommend any poetry books to give to our student contestants. A big thank you to Nancy Curtis of High Plains Press who sent Learn to Love the Haze (1996) by former Wyoming Poet Laureate Robert Roripaugh; Circle of Light (1995) by Charles Levondosky; Wyoming Promises (1984) and Cowpuncher Poetry (1986) both collections edited by Nancy. I also received, from mom (thanks, mom) who has had them stored in her shed for years, Wordweavers (1986), a collection of poetry by Wyoming Writers published through Wyoming Writers, Inc., a statewide writing organization. Look for info put up by Mike in earlier posts about this year's conference to be held in Cody, June 4-6.

This volume has many wonderful Wyoming writers in it and their bios--Patricia (Midge) Farmer from Gillette, who would go on to write, for the city of Gillette, the proclamation proclaiming April 22 as Poetry Day, the only town in Wyoming to do so; John Nesbitt, who back then was "now teaching at Eastern Wyoming College...and has published short stories, literary articles, book reviews, a few poems and magazine articles," all this before John would be publishing several (more than 20 to date) trade westerns; and Orval Meier, who wrote a humorous poem, titled:

Parking Space

You cruise the crowded parking lot
Hoping to find a parking spot,
One that's somewhere near the store,
So you won't have to walk a mile or more.
Things look bad, and you despair, but
You finally spot one over there.
You mentally shout, Oh, Boy! Oh, Boy!
And leaps your heart with boundless joy.
You rush the space a mile a minute,
Only to find a motorcycle in it.

Students from all over the state will come to Cheyenne March 1-2 to compete in the state competition. Wyoming's winner and a chaperon will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the national final, April 26-27, 2010. The students have worked hard to memorize and inhabit the poems they've chosen from the POL website http://poetryoutloud.org, which lists more than 400 poems for students to choose from. Wyoming POL is sanctioned by the Wyoming High School Activities Association. The events are free and open to the public.