Curtlyn Kramer Wins Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition

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Curtlyn Kramer, a senior from Ashland attending The Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University, emerged as the winner among the 21 high school champions from across the Commonwealth who competed in the seventh annual Poetry Out Loud state finals today in Frankfort.

“To me, Poetry Out Loud has been an amazing experience,” said Kramer. “I’ve learned so much about poetry that I normally wouldn’t explore or experience. Being able to really delve into the meanings of it is an experience that I wouldn’t have had otherwise and I’m grateful for it. As a senior — I am going to be graduating and going off to college soon and the experience that I’ve had, the public speaking skills, the ability to work with others — I think it’s going to serve me well in my future endeavors.”

As winner of the state finals, Kramer and her chaperone will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete with other state champions in the national finals May 13-15, 2012. The Gatton Academy will also receive $500 for the purchase of poetry books for its library. The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest will award $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes to winners and top finalists.

Samantha Isbell, Lone Oak High School, Paducah, is the second-place winner. She will receive a $100 cash prize and $200 for her school to purchase library books.

Three other finalists were Jordan Smith, Harlan County High School; Gabby Thompson, Boyd County High School; and Conor Whalen, Ballard High School, Louisville.

The Poetry Out Loud state finals are presented by the Kentucky Arts Council in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, as part of the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest, a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For additional information, contact Corey Alderdice at 270-745-2971.

Photo Credit: Kentucky Arts Council L. to R. Kentucky Arts Council executive director Lori Meadows, Kentucky Poetry Out Loud winner Curtlyn Kramer and Poetry Foundation program assistant Justine Haka.