The B.B. King Museum, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) and the Poetry Foundation announce Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest, a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. The Museum will host the Northern Regional competition, Friday, February 5 at 1:00pm.

Starting in the summer 2009, schools in various cities and towns participated in classroom and school wide contests. The winner of each region will advance to state competitions in February 2010. The NEA will host the Poetry Out Loud National Finals, to take place this spring in Washington, DC. Superintendent Dr. King David Rush, emcee for this event, is thrilled Poetry Out Loud is coming to Indianola. “I am so pleased and excited that the B.B. King Museum is hosting this event,” says Dr. Rush. “The nature of the program is inspiring and I’m so anxious to hear the work of these high school students!”

The NEA’s landmark report “Reading at Risk” found a dramatic decline in literary reading, especially among younger readers. 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 class. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. 

For more information, contact Erin Mulligan at 662-887-9539 Ext 228