But don’t just take our word for it.
As a senior at Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen, Hunter Hazelton claimed the title of 2016 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion and represented Arizona at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington D.C. It was the culmination of three year journey for the young poetry fanatic, his third year competing and his second competing at the state finals. In addition to competing at the National Finals this past spring, Hazelton participated in the pilot year of a new sub-competition for original poetry called Poetry Ourselves where he came in second place in the written portion.
Recently, Hunter took time out of his busy schedule to reflect on the experience and offer his first-hand perspective on POL.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your participation in Poetry Out Loud?
The most rewarding aspect of participating in Poetry Out Loud was the opportunity to channel my creativity and passion through what I love most: poetry. Throughout my three years of competing, I learned a great deal about poetry analysis and conveying that through a performance. I was able to practice and compete with poems by poets I’ve always loved, and develop an appreciation for newfound poets through the competition by reciting unfamiliar works. All in all, I was able to see the progress and development of my reciting, public speaking, and personal writing. It really bettered me as a writer and critical thinker.
What are your goals right now? In what ways did your involvement with Poetry Out Loud help you to begin realizing them?
My goals have always been cut and dry, but Poetry Out Loud definitely affirmed my passion for writing. I always dreamed that my writing would be read by many, and I feel that POL provides an experience where one can see how a single work can be viewed on a broader scale–even if it isn’t their own. I feel that the new component at the national level, Poetry Ourselves, really emphasizes this. Having my work read and considered by the acclaimed poet Patricia Smith was probably one of the most amazing things that has happened to me, and she and my new friends from the competition (at the state and national levels) have encouraged me to keep writing and go out and experience things to help with my writing.
Poetry Out Loud is a program that has national reach, but do you think there is something Arizona high school students provide to the program that is different? Why or why not?
Arizona is not a place with skyscraper buildings and big-name publishing houses scattered about here and there, but I feel that there is a stronger sense of community within the Arizonan poetry scene. First off, with amazing programs like Phonetic Spit, and, of course, POL, our youth from all walks of life are encouraged to partake in poetry-based events, and I believe that the Arizona Commission on the Arts does a wonderful job promoting and advocating for youth involvement. Also, with poets such as Alberto Álvaro Ríos and Richard Siken representing the state, I think that it shows our poetry has a more politically and culturally inclusive foundation, which I believe is something that is much needed today and it is one of the aspects making American poetry still relevant today.
What advice would you give students who may be unsure, nervous, or completely frightened by the thought of performing poetry?
Poetry isn’t as pretentious as you may have thought. It isn’t some big secret message that you must figure out in order to preach to some strange audience. Poetry is how we continue to live. It is absolutely vital to a society–a culture. Now, I come from a completely biased standpoint, but it is the best way to develop public speaking skills. Here, you are taking a poet’s passionate words and wearing them like armor. For me, I felt it was like one-way glass and that the audience was not looking at me, but into my words, into the poem. Nothing is more empowering than not only memorizing a poem, but knowing it by heart–there is a difference. With POL, you adopt a poem, and you carry it with you for the rest of your life. The words start to become real and meaningful to your core, and when you’re on stage that’s all you feel. On stage, you’re powerful, you are living artwork. You are poetry.
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We’re back with another Community Conversation — and this time, we’re headed to Lake Havasu City and Kingman!
Join us on June 16 at 4:30 PM at Beale Street Theater in Kingman and on June 17 at 4 PM at Mohave Community College - Lake Havasu City Campus for a 90-minute interactive session all about YOU and the arts in your community.
RSVP by scanning the QR code, clicking the link in our b
We’re staying closer to our Phoenix home for the next Community Conversations, visiting the west and east valley!
Then catch us in Mesa at the Mesa Main Library on May 22!