Poetry Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and National Writers Union Chapter 7

invite you to the

Fifteenth Annual High School Poetry Competition

Poetry Reading and Awards Ceremony

Festivities begin at 6:30 with background music and art by local students on display.  The reading begins at 7:00 PM.

The Reading

All high school students in Santa Cruz County were eligible to enter the annual poetry competition.   This year 436 poems were submitted and read by our three judges: Charles Atkinson, Rosie King and Joan Zimmerman. The following cash prizes will be awarded:

First Prize: $100 cash
Second Prize: $50 cash
Third Prize: $25 cash goes to two tied Third Prize awardees.

In addition, seven Honorable Mentions were named.  At the reading, an Anthology containing 62 poems selected by the judges will be given to each student whose poem appears in it, and will be available for purchase at $5.   All the students whose poems appear in the anthology are invited to read their selected poems.  All the anthology selections are listed below.  Admission is free.   For more information, call Len Anderson at 464-8983 or len@poetrysantacruz.org.

Poetry Santa Cruz congratulates not only the prize winners, honorable mentions and others included in the anthology, but all the students who wrote and submitted their poems, for entering into the process of engaging thought, feeling, language, image and sound in the making of poetry.  Learning is the big prize.

 
Poems Appearing in the 2008 Anthology:

“My Great-Grandma’s Death” by Marina Rosenthal, First Prize
“The Fireman” by Nemesia Garcia, Second Prize
“My Body Belongs to Them” by Anonymous, Third Prize
“Do What’s Right” by Catlin Ulrich, Third Prize

“Poetry” by Joaquin Alvarez-Bautista, Honorable Mention
“A Man Went Out for a Cigarette” by Erik Aranda, Honorable Mention
“Coming from a Hammock” by Elowyn Corby, Honorable Mention
“Just Because” by Lauren Dropping, Honorable Mention
“Lisa” by Sofia Davis-Fogel, Honorable Mention
“Love” by Anna Lucia Matines-Rocha, Honorable Mention
“Three Heavenly Objects” by Rafael, Honorable Mention

“Outside” by Angie
“Winter in the Valley” by Ayden
“Años” by Vicenta Becerra
“You Can’t Make It Fly” by Amina Boon
“To My Uncle, the Man Who Gave Me My Middle Name” by Noah Bond
“Image Deconstruction” by Aaron Colton
“Red Flyer on Children’s Hills” by Josh Cottrell
“Carving at 17” by Elowyn Corby
“Falls” by Elowyn Corby
“The First Dance” by Blade Cruickshank
“Good Night” by Lily Denevan
“Spring Is for Lovers” by Jessica Sara Dunsmore
“Beneath a Marigold” by Laura Emberson
“The Piano” by Fernie
“Vagrant” by Alex Foy
“Why I Rhyme” by Gabe
“It Was” by Griselda
“Famously Fresh” by Patrick Heher
“Swing” by Patrick Heher
“Hoppin’ Down Main St.” by Theodore Henricksen
“Aches” by Josh Hill
“Letter” by Aaron Kaswen
“Philosophers” by Aaron Kaswen
“Someone I Thought I Knew” by Olive Kersey
“At the Tone” by Eileen Kiyome Kitayame
“Proboscis” by Eileen Kiyome Kitayame
“What Happened?” by Guna Leikind-Williamson
“Exactly” by Eric Lipschutz
“Blessings” by Alexis Lopez
“Proud to Be Your Son” by Jimmy M.
“In My Car” by Gloria Marquez
“Empty” by Melissa Medrano
“Without” by Jesus Velasco Morales
“Sess” by Devin Murphy
“Years After” by Esdras Ojèda
“Reading” by Moriah Quinn
“Gone” by Rory
“Subway Man” by Marina Rosenthal
“nirvana” by Amber Shettler
“Questions, Answers” by Casey Spencer
“Phillies Diner” by Joe Strong
“Shadows and Rain” by Amy T.
“I’ve Been...” by Jessie Tessler
“Have You Noticed?” by Michael Vassar
“As Their Own” by Aimee Warner
“My Life” by Chase Wood
“This Catharsis” by Becca Wynn
“Beast of the Storm” by Leah Zucker
“Branching Salvation” by Leah Zucker

Cover Art by Paige Quinn, Aptos High School
 

This project is presented by Poetry Santa Cruz and supported by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and National Writers Union Local 7.

Poetry Santa Cruz receives funding from the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County and Poets & Writers, Inc.  Poetry Santa Cruz is also sponsored by Bookshop Santa Cruz, Capitola Book Café, Casablanca Inn, the National Writers Union Chapter 7, the Museum of Art & History, KUSP, the William James Association, Cabrillo College and The Attic.  Membership premiums have been donated by Copper Canyon Press, Graywolf Press, the University of Pittsburgh Press, Robert Sward, Coffee House Press and Farrar, Straus and Giroux.