Now in its seventh year, the Storm King School Poetry Festival continues to highlight the poetry written by secondary students from independent schools in the New York tri-state region and throughout New England. Deemed “transformational in this age of social media” and “a breath of fresh air” by parents of participating poets, this springtime celebration of creative writing and language arts has continued to grow in popularity each year.
The 2023 poetry contest received 182 submissions from 87 students at 21 schools from Maine to New York that were reviewed by two published poets, Joanna Solfrian and Zoe Ryder White, who served as the contest’s judges. Over the course of a month, the judges had the difficult task of choosing 20 finalist poems and three standout poems from the dozens of excellent submissions. Both judges agreed that “the level of quality of this year’s poetry was exceptional, which made our jobs very challenging.” The contest culminated at the 7th Annual Storm King Poetry Festival event held on the Storm King School campus on the evening of Saturday, May 6, 2023.
The Festival began with a reception and music in the lobby of SKS’ Walter Reade Jr. Theatre where the poets and their families had the chance to meet the judges and socialize. Head of School Jonathan Lamb kicked off the evening by welcoming the poets and their families, introducing Ms. Solfrian and Ms. Ryder White, and thanking the English and humanities teachers who encouraged their students to write poetry and submit their work. “Spring time at The Storm King School is a season of the arts, as it is at most of the schools represented here on stage. Our Poetry Festival has quickly become one of the highlights of our spring. As an educator who spent most of my career teaching English, it is always one of my favorite events of the year,” explained Mr. Lamb.
The highlight of the program was the judges’ reading and commentary of the 20 winning poems, calling the poets in the audience onto the stage. Two Storm King poets, Ke Dana X. ’23 and Richeal A. ’24, also read poems they wrote to commemorate Earth Day. All of the finalists received personally signed copies of the judges’ books, and the authors of three standout poems were awarded additional gifts along with a surprise–a complimentary one-year subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine.
Many thanks go out to the finalists and their families from other schools that traveled to The Storm King School to join us for the event; to their English and humanities teachers who encouraged them to participate; and to all of the schools and poets who submitted their work to the contest this year. We hope to see many of them back again next spring!
THE 2023 WINNING POETS & POEMS
Finalists
Tien T., Grade 10, The Storm King School………………”The Journey of Belonging”
Evan G., Grade 9, Concord Academy……………………………………………….”Overalls”
Quinn R., Grade 11, Greens Farms Academy…………..”Robin, Water, Windowsill”
Clara-Eve L., Grade 12, Kents Hill School…….”Because it Sounds Like Evacuate”
Guanzong W., Grade 10, Trinity-Pawling School………….”If I Can Go to the Past”
Chloe H., Grade 10, Groton School……………………..”ERROR: Unknown Variable”
Matias K., Post-Graduate, The Storm King School…………………………….”Endless”
Marvelous A., Grade 9, Millbrook School…………………..“Inside is Safer Anyways”
Sophie C., Grade 10, Greens Farms Academy……..”Nothing in this Poem is True”
Zachary H., Grade 12, Lee Academy…………………………………………”Acrid Apples”
Joaquin A., Grade 11, Avon Old Farms………………………………………….”DEN-JFK”
Beyza K., Grade 11, Greens Farms Academy…”He looked like a young Leo DiCaprio”
Julianna P., Grade 11, Greens Farms Academy……,,,…………………… “in the wind”
Priscilla Z., Grade 12, St. George’s School……………………………………………”Sissie”
Hannah C., Grade 12, Millbrook School……………………………………………..”Amba”
Zana B., Grade 12, Concord Academy………………………………………………..”Softly”
Julia W., Grade 11, Emma Willard School…………………………………..”As a Horse”
Standout Poems
Keya M., Grade 9, Emma Willard School……………………………………………..”Joan”
Will Z., Grade 12, Millbrook School…………………………………………..”Transience”
Riley M., Grade 11, Greens Farms Academy………………………………………”August”
