Alyssa Williams participates in Poetry Out Loud Regionals

​Williams pictured with her father.

Alyssa Williams competed at the Poetry Out Loud 2018 SC Regional Finals on Saturday, January 20th. This year's Regions 1 & 2 were combined and the competition took place at Spartanburg County Headquarters Library. 

She recited the poems "Make a Law So That the Spine Remembers Wings" by Larry Levis and "And If I Did, What Then?" by George Gascoigne.  Alyssa had a perfect recitation, but competition was fierce and unfortunately she will not advance to the state finals this year. 

Memorizing a poem and reciting it in front of judges, family, friends, and a room full of strangers is no easy task and we are proud of how Alyssa represented the Valley!

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. Our state program partners with the SC Arts Commission. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage.