For Immediate Release
Wilmington, DE (March 21, 2017) – Identical twins Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha are social workers, award-winning spoken word poets, and community activists. They were appointed as the Delaware Poets Laureate by former Governor Jack Markell in December 2015. The appointment marks the first time in the history of the position that it will have co-laureates, and the first time in history of the U.S. state poets laureate that such a position will be shared by siblings.

The new video “Art for Life” features the Poets’ most recent work to introduce poetry and the spoken word to a wider audience including veterans and incarcerated young adults. Chukwuocha says, “’Art for Life’… [is] about that commitment to making a difference. To showing our children that (their) lives can be better.”

April is National Poetry Month and the Delaware Poets Laureate have numerous events during this time. Below is a select* list of upcoming events that are open to the public. To learn more or to schedule a visit with the Delaware Poets Laureate, please visit: http://artsdel.org/poetlaureate/

Delaware Poets Laureate
Upcoming April Events and Programs

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WHAT: Poetry Month Rhythm, Rhyme Story Time
WHERE: Bear Library, 101 Governors Place, Bear, DE 19701
WHEN: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: Workshop and Reading with the Twin Poets
WHERE: Woodlawn Library, 2020 West 9th Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
WHEN: Wednesday, April 5, 2017 from 7 – 8 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: Inspiration Storytelling and Spoken Word Festival
WHERE: The Art Studio, Absalom Jones Community Center, 320 Kiamensi Road, Wilmington, DE 19804
WHEN: Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 11 – 11:30 a.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: Listen Up! Spoken Word Celebration
WHERE: The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
WHEN: Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 1 – 3 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free, sponsored by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs and the Delaware Division of the Arts

 

WHAT: Outbound Poetry Festival Pop Up Reading
WHERE: 30th Street Station, 30th & Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104
WHEN: Monday, April 10, 2017; the Poets will read at 4:52 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

Cancelled due to family emergency.

WHAT: An Evening with the Twin Poets
WHERE: Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Road, Wilmington, DE 19803
WHEN: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: A Visit with the Twin Poets
WHERE: Kent County Library, 497 S Red Haven Lane, Dover, DE 19901
WHEN: Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 2 – 3 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: An Evening of Poetry
WHERE: Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library, 115 High Street, Odessa, DE, 19730
WHEN: Monday, April 24, 2017 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

WHAT: National Poetry Month Preschool Storytime
WHERE: Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library, 115 High Street, Odessa, DE, 19730
WHEN: Wednesday, May 10, 2017 from 11 – 11:45 a.m.
MORE INFO: Free

 

*This is not a comprehensive list of all events that the Delaware Poets Laureate will attend/be present at in April. This list is intended for the general public, and does not include appearances at conferences and schools.
About the Poet Laureate Program

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Delaware’s Poet Laureate is an honorary position appointed by, and serving at the pleasure of, the Governor. The Poet Laureate serves as an advocate, educator, and presenter of poetry throughout the state. Activities for this position have included:

• Promoting the importance of poetry and the literary arts as part of Delaware’s cultural heritage
• Speaking at such official state functions as the opening of state legislative sessions, the Governor’s Awards for the Arts, conferences, and public ceremonies
• Presenting readings and poetry discussions in educational settings and community events across the state
• Developing poetry programming and presentation opportunities in collaboration with the Division of the Arts to support the Division’s program goals

The Delaware Division of the Arts promotes the Poet Laureate’s events and activities and manages the Poet Laureate’s calendar of appearances. The Division also provides a stipend to the Poet Laureate for appearances at nonprofit organizations.

 

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing, 302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

For Immediate Release

EIGHTEEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL COMPETE IN
2016 POETRY OUT LOUD DELAWARE STATE FINALS

 

Students from eighteen Delaware high schools will compete in the Poetry Out Loud state finals at the Smyrna Opera House on Tuesday, February 23 at 7 p.m. The event is free and the public is welcome to attend. Paul Weagraff, Director of the Delaware Division of the Arts will greet contestants and give opening remarks. He will be followed by J. Mack Wathen, Chair of Delaware State Arts Council, who will conclude by recognizing the panel of adjudicators.

Each of the eighteen participants will recite three poems that they have selected, studied, and practiced, representing more than 40 different poets including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Langston Hughes, William Ernest Henley, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson. The recitations are inspiring, moving, sometimes humorous, and always engaging. The winner will receive $200 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, to compete in the national championship from May 2-4, where $50,000 in cash prizes and school stipends are awarded.

The 2016 Poetry Out Loud participants are:

Name	School
Tori Baker	Brandywine High School
Phoebe Callard	Cape Henlopen High School
Jessica Pigeon	Caravel Academy
Christian Wills	Concord High School
Brandon Dawson	Middletown High School
Rebecca Pereira	Mount Sophia Academy
Natalie Nwanekwu	Newark Charter Jr./Sr. High School
Shannon Murray	Padua Academy
Hannah Sturgis	Polytech High School
Samuel Ogunwande	Red Lion Christian Academy
Jordan McMillan	Sanford School
Dylan Norman	Seaford High School
Abbey Thompson	St. Elizabeth’s High School
Mollie Russell	St. Mark’s High School
Kana Turley	Tall Oaks Classical School
Jane Krukiel	Ursuline Academy
Samantha Drummond	Wilmington Christian School
Gustavo Silveira	Wilmington Friends School

 

To learn more about each high school student and their reasons for participating in Poetry Out Loud, please read their biographies here.

The Honorable Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha and Al Mills, the current Delaware Poets Laureate, will serve as the Masters of Ceremonies. Adjudicators include Jim Bourey, Sophia Hanson, Lucas Amillion Mayfield, Maggie Rowe, Marcia Reed, and Jeffrey Santoro. They bring their personal and professional experience as poets, educators, and performing artists to judge the participants on physical presence, voice and articulation, appropriateness of dramatization, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding, overall performance, and accuracy.  Delaware State Arts Council member, Tina Betz, will serve as the accuracy judge, ensuring that competitors recite the poems correctly.

About Poetry Out Loud

The Delaware Division of the Arts sponsors the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest program in Delaware schools and the state finals. Competition begins at the classroom level in the fall and culminates with the state finals each spring. Eighteen schools and over 2,000 Delaware students participated in the Poetry Out Loud program in the current academic year. The Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest competition is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. For more details about the partnership and program, see the program overview here.

About the Delaware Division of the Arts

The Delaware Division of the Arts is an agency of the State of Delaware. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. Funding for Division programs is provided by annual appropriations from the Delaware General Assembly and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit artsdel.org or call 302-577-8278.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing, 302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov