PORT ANGELES — In honor of National Poetry Month, the Port Angeles Library is hosting two young people’s poetry contests — also called PoetrySlams — tonight and Friday night.
Both events at the library, 2210 S. Peabody St., are free and open to the public.
Tonight, 10 high school-age poets will take the podium to offer their original verse.
This is the first time the library has hosted a poetry competition for local high school youths.
Port Angeles High School Librarian and English teacher Eve Datisman helped coordinate it with help from student volunteers Celia Gracey and Bri Howell.
This evening’s poems range in topic, from Kayla LaFritz’s humorous “Ode to a Floor” to Victoria Pope’s “Soldiers.”
Judges
Peninsula Daily News Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz and Peninsula College professor Michael Mills will serve as the contest’s judges, with prizes to include a Kobo tablet, an iPod Shuffle and gift certificates to local bookstores.
On Friday at 6:30 p.m., more than 60 poets and actors in grades 6-8 will regale the audience with their readings of original poetry or recitations of other poets’ work.
Alan Turner, owner of Port Angeles’ Port Book and News, has been a judge in the middle school poetry competition in past years.
He’ll be back this year, along with the PDN’s de la Paz, Odyssey Books owner April Bellerud, North Olympic Library System board member Betty Gordon and Port Angeles Friends of the Library member Margaret Klover.
Judging the poems “was surprisingly delightful,” Turner said.
“It was hard to judge . . . There were so many talented, inspired presentations, they could all be considered winners.”
The PoetrySlams are two of the North Olympic Library System’s many events for young people at libraries in Port Angeles, Sequim, Clallam Bay and Forks.
For more information about such activities, visit www.NOLS.org or phone 360-417-8500.