Michigan Humanities is thrilled to celebrate 20 years of Poetry Out Loud (POL) in our state and across the nation. In recognition of this milestone, we’ve invited Michigan POL alumni to share their stories and insight into their experience with the program.
Our next featured POL alum is James Cook, the Michigan POL State Champion in 2024. James was active in POL at Interlochen Arts Academy in 2024, and currently lives in Santa Clarita, California.
Where are you now in your professional and/or educational career?
I’m now in my first year of study in acting at California Institute of the Arts. I am entrenched in a continuum of reading, listening, writing, and playing as I develop my craft and discover my artistic voice.
What do you remember most vividly about your Poetry Out Loud experience?
I remember the love of poetry and recitation that I found in myself through sharing poems that struck some chord within me. In DC, meeting students from across the nation who all felt the power of poetry was a soul-feeding experience. I now carry poetry with me, and now I explore my deepest feelings through poetics. I also found great confidence in my own capacity to write and express myself through my work after exploring other’s words.
What poetry are you reading and listening to now?
I’m reading and listening to Audre Lorde, Anne Carson, Fred Moten, Gloria Anzaldúa, Samuel Beckett, Adrienne Rich, and Mary Oliver amongst many, many more. “Poetry Is Not a Luxury,” by Audre Lorde is a piece that I am constantly coming back to.
What advice would you share with a student or teacher considering Poetry Out Loud?
I would say, read as many poems as you can possibly stomach, and feel the sounds of the poems in your mouth and your body as you read them. Even if you don’t understand it immediately, when the feelings speak to you in a way you’ve never quite felt, you know you’ve found your poem. Allow the magic to happen!
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Michigan Humanities.