Heart of Art—Amador Poetry Out Loud 2026 Celebrates Youth, Community, and the Power of Spoken Word

By Meghan Joy “Mojo” O’Keefe
This article will be published in the physical Ledger Dispatch newspaper on 2/6, 2026. The digital version can be read on the Ledger Dispatch website by clicking here.

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, poetry took center stage in Amador County as families, students, and community members gathered at the Margaret Dalton Community Center and First Five Amador for Amador Poetry Out Loud 2026. The annual competition, administered locally by the Amador County Arts Council (Amador Arts) since 2016, once again proved that poetry is not only alive but thriving in our rural community.

This year’s event brought together five high school competitors—three students from Amador High School and two from Argonaut High School—who recited poems from memory with passion, precision, and emotional depth. Each student participated in two formal rounds, presenting works by established poets selected from the Poetry Out Loud Anthology. Their performances demonstrated not only impressive memorization skills but also a deep understanding of language, rhythm, and meaning.

The afternoon was hosted by Margaret Lewis, Amador County’s Third Poet Laureate, who also served as one of the judges. Lewis guided the audience through the event with warmth and enthusiasm, helping create an atmosphere that felt both celebratory and welcoming. She was joined on the judging panel by Deja Douglas, Amador County’s Second Poet Laureate; Cilladean Hopkins, a local performance and poetry artist; Dale Lisa Flint, a junior high arts teacher and professional actor; and Professor Debra Tenney, a respected local poet and performance artist. Together, the judges brought a range of perspectives rooted in education, performance, and literary craft.

While judges tallied scores, the event took on a life of its own. Junior high students stepped forward to share their own powerful recitations, filling the room with fresh voices and fearless expression. Soon after, audience members themselves began sharing poems, transforming the competition into a spontaneous community celebration of the spoken word. What unfolded was not just an intermission but a reminder of poetry’s ability to connect people across ages and experiences.

After careful deliberation, the judges announced the winner: Christian Wagner, a talented sophomore at Amador High whose performances stood out for their clarity, emotional resonance, and confidence. Zora Grieco-Sealey, of Argonaut High, was the runner-up with her fabulous recitations.

Amador Poetry Out Loud 2026 was more than a contest—it was a testament to the creativity, courage, and community spirit of Amador County’s young people, and to the enduring power of poetry to bring us together.

Wagner will now represent Amador County at the California Poetry Out Loud State Finals in Sacramento this March. His all-expenses-paid trip includes competing on March 8 and 9, beginning at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium’s Jean Runyon Little Theatre, with the final two rounds held in the California State Senate Chambers. There, students from across the state will celebrate poetry together, meet their peers, and even take photos with their state representatives.

Community members can learn more about the statewide competition at capoetryoutloud.org. Here you can get up-to-date information on the state and national competition. You can even tune in live to watch the state finals!

Those interested in seeing the Poetry Out Loud Anthology can enjoy free, unlimited access at poetryoutloud.org. Here you can learn all about this standards-based curriculum, which is free to all high school teachers across the country. Poetry Out Loud teaches public speaking, memorization, literary arts, and communication skills. As Wagner explains, “I am passionate about poetry because it gives the average person the ability to express themselves however they want. I am passionate about Poetry Out Loud because it gives students like me easy access to a lot of poems, famous or not.”

Amador County Arts Council (Amador Arts) is here to help you and your community envision and activate your arts, cultural, and creative goals. We offer free cultural programs, mentorships for artists, grant-writing help, networking opportunities, and professional development for artists and arts organizations. Established in 1982, Amador Arts catalyzes the local creative economy by promoting the region as a haven for arts, culture, and creativity. Contact us to be part of the fun at amadorarts.org, (209) 256-8166, or info@amadorarts.org.

CAPTION: Christian Wagner is a sophomore at Amador High and a member of the Drama Department, where he stars as Sherlock Holmes in this semester’s Advanced Drama play “Baskerville”.

CAPTION: The six competitors were from both Amador and Argonaut high schools and included (left to right) Brooke Dillian (Argonaut), Zora Grieco-Sealey (Argonaut), Becca Hammilton (Amador), Ethan Watkins (Amador), and Christian Wagner (Amador).

CAPTION: Amador’s Third Poet Laureate, Margaret Lewis, hosted the event with inspiring words and calming support for all of the competitors.