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The Arkansas Arts Council is proud to announce Drew Pirtle as the winner of Poetry Out Loud championship for Arkansas.
Pirtle is a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she lists her favorite poets as Maya Angelou, Angela Thomas and Rick Riordan.
Pirtle says her teacher Dr. Anes Abraham is who inspired her to pursue poetry. Pirtle says, "I’ve been learning how to recite poetry since I was young. Dr.Abraham was my first coach. She encourages youth in my community to learn about our history through poetry and to go out and inspire others. I am forever grateful for her."
She hopes to inspire people to come out of their shell and be themselves. "I want to inspire others by encouraging them to come out of their shell. I grew up as a shy kid. I was in the shadows of my older sibling. I thought that I wasn’t as important. I learned through poetry that I have a voice, and that I should use it. Learning and reciting poetry has helped me speak my mind with others and has opened many doors," said Pirtle.
A life changing experience when she was young helps motivate her now as a young adult. Pirtle said, "Grit and hope motivates me. When I was nine, I had a stroke. It was completely unexpected and it rocked my entire family. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t balance, I could barely see straight. I remember when my mom and I were practicing walking in the hospital hallway. The hospital was located downtown and was lit from all the lights outside. I don’t know what drew me to the lights, but I kept walking towards them. I was struggling of course, but I didn’t let it stop me from getting closer to the window. It was the hope of finally getting to be outside. The hope of being able to freely walk without assistance again. The hope of feeling normal again. That was the most difficult time of my life. I think about it every time I go through a challenge. Get to the lights. No matter how long it takes, get to them."
The poems she performed for the event were:
1. You, If No One Else by Tino Villanueva
2. Before the birth of One of Her Children by Anne Bradstreet
3. Always Something More Beautiful by Stephen Dunn
When asked who she would like to thank, she said her parents. "I would like to thank my parents. My parents are my first supporters. They have spent countless hours with me, sitting down to research poems, listen to me learn and recite them, and have watched me grow in my journey. I don’t know where I would be without my parents by my side. Everytime I see them excited about how well I did in a performance, I know I made them proud. They didn’t have to support this passion, but I am glad they did," said Pirtle.
Pirtle is a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she lists her favorite poets as Maya Angelou, Angela Thomas and Rick Riordan.
Pirtle says her teacher Dr. Anes Abraham is who inspired her to pursue poetry. Pirtle says, "I’ve been learning how to recite poetry since I was young. Dr.Abraham was my first coach. She encourages youth in my community to learn about our history through poetry and to go out and inspire others. I am forever grateful for her."
She hopes to inspire people to come out of their shell and be themselves. "I want to inspire others by encouraging them to come out of their shell. I grew up as a shy kid. I was in the shadows of my older sibling. I thought that I wasn’t as important. I learned through poetry that I have a voice, and that I should use it. Learning and reciting poetry has helped me speak my mind with others and has opened many doors," said Pirtle.
A life changing experience when she was young helps motivate her now as a young adult. Pirtle said, "Grit and hope motivates me. When I was nine, I had a stroke. It was completely unexpected and it rocked my entire family. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t balance, I could barely see straight. I remember when my mom and I were practicing walking in the hospital hallway. The hospital was located downtown and was lit from all the lights outside. I don’t know what drew me to the lights, but I kept walking towards them. I was struggling of course, but I didn’t let it stop me from getting closer to the window. It was the hope of finally getting to be outside. The hope of being able to freely walk without assistance again. The hope of feeling normal again. That was the most difficult time of my life. I think about it every time I go through a challenge. Get to the lights. No matter how long it takes, get to them."
The poems she performed for the event were:
1. You, If No One Else by Tino Villanueva
2. Before the birth of One of Her Children by Anne Bradstreet
3. Always Something More Beautiful by Stephen Dunn
When asked who she would like to thank, she said her parents. "I would like to thank my parents. My parents are my first supporters. They have spent countless hours with me, sitting down to research poems, listen to me learn and recite them, and have watched me grow in my journey. I don’t know where I would be without my parents by my side. Everytime I see them excited about how well I did in a performance, I know I made them proud. They didn’t have to support this passion, but I am glad they did," said Pirtle.