On Saturday, March 11, 2023, UArizona Poetry Center in Tucson hosted the the Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Finals. Nine exceptional young people, regional finalists representing every corner of the state, competed for the opportunity to represent Arizona at the National Finals. We’re delighted to announce Arizona’s 2023 Champion: Biruni Hariadi!
Administered by University of Arizona Poetry Center, in partnership with the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Arizona Poetry Out Loud invites the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into English classes across Arizona. Through Poetry Out Loud, students can master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
Advancing from classroom-level competitions, through regional and state-level events, one Arizona high school student is selected each year to represent the state at the national finals in Washington, DC, competing against champions from all 56 states and US jurisdictions for a $20,000 scholarship and the title of Poetry Out Loud National Champion!
Hariadi will compete in the National Finals, which will be held in Washington, DC, May 8-10, 2023.
2023 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Finalists
In the final round of competition, Biruni competed against four finalists. The finalists and the poems each recited are listed below:
Biruni Hariadi, Gary K. Herberger Young Scholars Academy
- “Mr. Darcy” by Victoria Chang
- “The Wish, By a Young Lady” by Laetitia Pilkington
- “Mimesis” by Fady Joudah
Selena Chavez, Shadow Ridge High School
- “La Figlia che Piange” by T.S. Eliot
- “Suppose” by Phoebe Cary
-  “the world is about to end and my grandparents are in love” by Kara Jackson
Sam Mayer, The Gregory School
- “Summer” by Chen Chen
- “Edgar Allan Poe Is Reached at the Baltimore Harbor by the Shadows That Pursue Him” by Fernando Valverde
-  “Dirge in Woods” by George Meredith
Diego Flores, Alhambra High School
- “Two Guitars” by Victor Hernández Cruz
- “Life in a Love” by Robert Browning
- “To Be Held” by Linda Hogan
Congratulations to everyone who competed this year!
