Clarke Central High School Contemporary Literature and Composition student Tarver Ethridge, a senior, works on an assignment in Room 221 on Nov. 3. Ethridge’s Contemporary Literature and Composition class, taught by CCHS English department teacher Grace Crumpton, has worked to curate poems for their end-of-semester Poetry Showcase in the CCHS Media Center with all students encouraged by Crumpton to read at the event.“Some kids don’t want to speak out loud, so they work with a classmate who’s going to read their poem for them (and) capture their voice,” Crumpton said. “It’s a cool way of taking care of each other (where) everybody can contribute something to this thing we’re doing together.” Photo by Sasha Barkan
CCHS’s Contemporary Literature and Composition and Writer’s Workshop students will perform their work at their class’s poetry showcase, which will be held on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. in the CCHS Media Center.
Clarke Central High School students taking Contemporary Literature and Composition or Writer’s Workshop, CCHS’s poetry-focused English Language Arts electives taught by CCHS English department teacher Grace Crumpton, are preparing to present their poems at the class’s Poetry Showcase, which will take place in the CCHS Media Center on Dec. 3 at 6 p.m.
“(The showcase) makes people aware that there’s a poetry class and that poetry is really interesting,” Widener said. “A lot of poetry that we learn (in core English classes) is older poetry that’s not very interesting for people, and the newer poetry speaks to a lot of people.”
— Miriam Widener,
CCHS junior
The showcase, which was first held by Crumpton in the fall semester of 2022, is open to Athens and CCHS community members. The showcase’s itinerary is curated by Contemporary Literature and Composition students at the end of each semester the class is taught, reflecting Crumpton’s values of teamwork and community, with the structured format chosen for a greater sense of organization.
“I chose to have a showcase as opposed to a (poetry) slam night or an open mic night, because (while those) are amazing, they are different (forms) of poetic art,” Crumpton said. “My class is centered around community care, not competition, (so) something done collaboratively is more reflective of what we do.”
Contemporary Literature and Composition student Miriam Widener, a CCHS junior, plans to participate in the poetry showcase by reading her prose poem “Shower Thoughts.” For Widener, the showcase is a gateway for the community to understand the value of poetry.
“(The showcase) makes people aware that there’s a poetry class and that poetry is really interesting,” Widener said. “A lot of poetry that we learn (in core English classes) is older poetry that’s not very interesting for people, and the newer poetry speaks to a lot of people,” Widener said.
Something that Crumpton hopes will be represented at the showcase is the intersection between righteous anger and poetry, which Contemporary Literature and Composition students discussed recently in class by reading poetry that came from a desire for change.
“Poetry comes out of things that are frustrating and difficult. Choosing to write in response to things that make you angry is an act of joy and rebellion,” Crumpton said. “Having a space (like the showcase) for children to do that and for families to see that happening gives everybody a bit of hope.”
