Alert (March 14, 2026): Due to recent high winds, our radio/TV tower in Bethany is not operational. Our engineers are working to resolve the issue. Alert (March 11, 2026): Our TV translator in Flatwoods is experiencing technical issues. Our engineers are troubleshooting the problem and expect it to be down for a couple days.
Thank you for your patience.
We speak with Ron Flanary, co-author of "Big Emma," a book that explores the story of a powerful steam locomotive that hauled passengers, freight and coal in eastern Kentucky. Also, state officials want to keep the public informed about the launch of new rural health programs.
State Poetry Champion To Compete For National Title
St. Mary's High School senior Willow Peyton will compete for the title of 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion May 2, 2024.iStockphoto
Listen
Share this Article
A West Virginia high school student has been named a finalist in the national Poetry Out Loud competition and will compete in Washington, D.C., for the grand prize.
St. Mary’s High School senior Willow Peyton will compete for the title of 2024 Poetry Out Loud National Champion and a $20,000 award at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium Thursday night.
Peyton is one of nine finalists out of a field of 55 state and jurisdictional champions from across the country to compete reciting classic and contemporary poetry.
In an interview published by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Peyton likened the poetry recitations to a theatrical performance.
“I love seeing the different interpretations of the poems themselves. There’s so many things you have to learn about her poems and how to recite them correctly and memorizing them that’s different yet so alike to acting in theater.”
A program of the NEA and the Poetry Foundation along with the state and jurisdictional arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud has reached more than 4.4 million students since it began in 2005.
This year’s state and jurisdictional champions advanced from more than 160,000 students nationwide.
“I think I’ll look back on it as an insanely positive experience, no matter the outcome,” Peyton said.
The competition finals will be live streamed on the NEA website, as well as on their YouTube.
A West Virginia cabinetmaker describes his journey to becoming an accomplished poet. Also, state lawmakers have taken an important step to funding the state’s EMS. And, the Trump administration announced it would roll back a rule on power plant emissions of mercury.
This week on Inside Appalachia, we talk with East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah. Her new album contemplates the cosmos. Also, hair salons are important gathering places where Black women can find community. And, West Virginia poet Torli Bush uses story to tackle tough subjects.
This week, we take a look at how the U.S. government built a secret city in East Tennessee during World War II to work on the atomic bomb. Also, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it? And, we hear from a cabinetmaker on the physicality of poetry.
Lawmakers are getting a better understanding of the state’s capacity to respond to deadly floods. And an Appalachian poet explores nature and marriage in his latest book.