Published: April 21, 2008 11:47 am      

Paddock Poetry Contest set for Tuesday

Every year for more than a decade, Trinity Valley Community College has celebrated the creativity of its students with the Paddock Poetry Contest.

The poetry contest and festival started with a classroom assignment. Then, as the event grew, students from various areas of the college entered their best works to be judged and a festival was held on campus honoring the winners of the contest.

Last year, that contest and celebration took on a new role, becoming a joint venture between the college and Athens High School.

This year, the two will once again pair up to honor student poets. A Festival of Poetry will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Image Warehouse in Athens.

The winners of this year’s Paddock Poetry Contest will be asked to read their compositions.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Larry D. Thomas. Thomas is the 2008 Poet Laureate for the state of Texas.

Thomas retired in 1998 after a 31-year career in social service and criminal justice. Since his retirement, he has published nine collections of poetry. Thomas has earned the Violet Crown Award from the Writers’ League of Texas, two poetry prizes from Texas Review and a Western Heritage Award from Oklahoma’s Western Heritage Museum.

Thomas will be reading several of his pieces at Tuesday’s poetry festival.

Providing additional entertainment will be TVCC biology instructor Mike Carlisle. Carlisle will be singing various poetic lyrics.

Also, one of the former winners of the Paddock contest will be performing. Victoria Phillips, two-time winner of the contest, will be reading some of her poetic compositions. Phillips has written and published several poems.

The Image Warehouse is located on Larkin Street one block north of the courthouse. There is no charge for admission to the poetry festival.