Gorham High School (GHS) senior Emily Paruk has been participating in GHS Poetry Out Loud competitions since her freshman year in 2017 and has been a finalist each year for GHS.
This year, Paruk won Gorham’s competition and went on to compete and win at the Regional competition, triumphed at the State competition, and will be competing at the Poetry Out Loud National Semi-Finals on Sunday, May 2.
Paruk’s success was long in the making. She feels that poetry has always been an essential part of her life.
“It’s been a sort of tradition in my family,” said Paruk. “My dad frequently reads poems to us and for a commencement speech memorized a poem for every letter of the alphabet.”
Her sister, Olivia Paruk (GHS 19’), also participated in Poetry Out Loud throughout high school. “I loved watching her (Olivia) transform the words on the page into something living and personal,” said Paruk.
Kerry Herlihy, GHS English teacher and Poetry Out Loud coordinator, finds that “Poetry Out Loud allows students a different way into poetry and its magic. Over the years, I have seen students transform through their recitations.”
“Of course, it is a terrifying endeavor and it sometimes is awkward and hard,” said Herlihy of the challenges of Poetry Out Loud.
Adding on to the typical challenges of this past year, the 2020 Poetry Out Loud competition underwent several changes to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. GHS chose to host the competition via video submission with judges viewing pre-recorded submissions rather than performances live in the high school auditorium.
The State and National competitions followed suit with similar pre-recorded submission processes. Although the absence of a live performance took away from the electricity Poetry Out Loud typically brings to the stage, Paruk has been optimistic despite challenges.
“My journey was mixed with sudden spurts of effort and energy combined with long weeks of waiting,” said Paruk. “It all blended together, with no specific memory rooting the Poetry Out Loud experience in my mind. I’m still in denial; it’s too unreal. I’m honestly still trying to wrap my head around this great opportunity I’ve been given.”
Photo credit Sierra CummingsFor Paruk, the journey from GHS to Nationals has been an astounding experience and, with the competition being virtual, also left her feeling disconnected. Paruk competed in the Gorham’s competition in December with the poems “Fairy-tale Logic,” by A.E. Stallings and “Once the World Was Perfect,” by Joy Harjo. She then sent the same recordings to the Regional competition.
Unlike in years past, Paruk did not get the opportunity to watch other performer’s recitations at Regionals or States. However, she was given the chance to work with talented mentors as she prepared for States (Moira Driscoll) and Nationals (Brian Evans-Jones).
Paruk expressed immense gratitude on her experience working with both coaches. “I met with Moira Driscoll on Zoom to work on my pre-20th century poem for States and I learned so much. Then, once I won States, the State of Maine provided me another coach (Evans-Jones) who also graciously volunteered hours of his time to help me with my poem analysis and recitations.”
Paruk has been acting for the majority of her life with her most recent role being in GHS’s performance of “Vintage Hitchcock,” by Joe Landry, for the local One Act Festival.
In her time with Poetry Out Loud, Paruk has found that “there are definitely differences between acting and reciting. My acting experience has actually gotten in the way of my recitations at times. I may over emote or use my hands unnecessarily, as if I was becoming a person. But I’ve learned that in reciting poetry, you want the words to become the living thing.”
Paruk will be reciting “Fairy-tale Logic,” by A.E. Stallings; “Once the World Was Perfect,” by Joy Harjo; and “‘Often rebuked, yet always back returning,’” by Emily Brontë at the Poetry Out Loud National Semi-Finals competition.
It will also be pre-recorded with a one-time only webcast comprised of performances and the announcement of the nine finalists on May 2. The event will be uploaded to arts.gov/poetry-out-loud.
If she advances, Paruk will participate in the Finals on May 27, which will also be broadcasted on the Poetry Out Loud website.
“I would love to give a shout out to my English teacher, Ms. Herlihy, for her continued support and passion,” said Paruk. “I’m also so grateful for the support and congratulations I’ve been receiving. Since I never got to experience an audience for my recitations because of COVID-19, when people verbally share their applause it truly means a lot to me.