Poetry Out Loud State Finals with the California Arts Council

Fifty-two young poets enter, but there can only be one champion of verse—a person who carries the artistic weight of the state on their shoulders. That’s right, sports fans, it’s another year of California Poetry Out Loud, in which students from across the state go head-to-head with memorized recitations of poems from the greats over two days. It’s the cream of the poetic interpreter crop. None of last year’s top three are returning to compete, so it should be interesting to see which poets’ works draw support from judges. Last year’s champ, Alexis Rangell-Onwuegbuzia, recited compositions by Fatimah Asghar, Randall Mann and Baron Brooke Fulke Greville. Anything could happen this year. CORRECTED: 914 Capitol Mall on Sunday and State Capitol Building Senate Chambers on Mondaycapoetryoutloud.org.