TCCL News & Events

Link: http://www.tulsalibrary.org/eventguide/events/09_charney.php

To give young poets the confidence to recite poetry in a public setting, Tulsa City-County Library presents the Harold Charney Poetry Festival for Children each April during National Poetry Month. Fourth- and fifth-graders who are schooled in Tulsa County may enter the contest for their chance at winning cash. Contestants only can enter at one of the locations.

• April 18, 2 p.m., Owasso Performing Arts Center, 12901 E. 86th St. N. Deadline to enter the contest at the Owasso Performing Arts Center is April 10.
• April 25, 2 p.m., Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road. Featuring categories in Spanish and English. Deadline to enter the contest at Martin Regional Library is April 17.

Children may write their own poem to recite or recite one from their favorite poetry book. Contestants are judged solely on voice, diction and engagement with the audience. Recital time is limited to two minutes.

At each location, judges will award $50 for first place, $35 for second place and $20 for third place in each category. Entry forms are available at all TCCL locations and the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org. Contestants may return their completed entry forms to any TCCL location.

“Young, aspiring poets looking to sharpen their public speaking skills in a low-stress setting are encouraged to participate in the annual poetry festival,” said Sara Martinez, TCCL’s Hispanic Resource Center coordinator. “Judging is based on performance and presentation. It is important for children to lose their reservations about public speaking and connect with the audience.”

The Harold Charney Poetry Festival for Children was established by his family on Harold Charney’s 70th birthday as a tribute to his lifelong love of poetry and the spoken word. The festival is made possible by a donation from the Charney Family, and co-sponsored by Hispano de Tulsa, Tulsa Library Trust and Tulsa Kids.

For more information on library programming, call the AskUs Hotline, 596-7977, or visit the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org.

Let your pen flow, keyboard click and creative light shine. The Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries invites local wordsmiths to enter the 32nd Annual Adult Creative Writing Contest for a chance to win cash for their snappy sonnets and enlightening essays.

The Friends group sponsors the annual contest to give published and unpublished authors an outlet for their writing. The contest is open to any person 18 years or older who lives, works, attends school in Tulsa County or has a nonresident TCCL library card. The deadline to submit entries is Jan. 31, 2009.

Submissions are welcomed in these categories:

• Poetry – with a 400-word limit
• Informal Essay – with a 5,000-word limit
• Children’s Fiction – with a 3,000-word limit
• Short Story – with a 5,000-word limit

A $100 cash prize plus a book and certificate are awarded to the best works within each category. Second-place winners receive a $50 cash prize plus a book and a certificate. Certificates are awarded to those receiving honorable mention. Individuals may submit one entry per category. Each entry must have a separate entry form and a $5 entry fee.

Local author and illustrator Kim Doner will present the awards during a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on April 5, 2009, at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue.

Entry forms are available at all TCCL locations or online at www.tulsalibrary.org/friends. For more information on the Adult Creative Writing Contest, call Gretchen Hannefield, Friends liaison and library volunteer coordinator, 596-7963.