Yerington High’s Mari Basaca Fuentes is the Nevada Poetry Out Loud Champion
Yerington High School sophomore Mari Basaca Fuentes, competing with five other students from around the state, won the Nevada Poetry Out Loud state finals at the University of Nevada, Reno, on March 7.
Poetry Out Loud is a national program designed to help students develop confidence and public speaking skills through poetry recitation. They select and perform poems from a curated anthology. Basaca Fuentes read “An Apology” by Julia Ward Howe, 19th century abolitionist and co-founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association (who, by the way, also wrote the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in 1862).
The poem is not actually an apology. It’s more of a, “Yeah, you might not like my tone if I, a well-bred woman who’s supposed keep her mouth shut, speaks up for human rights, but we all know it was the right thing to do.” Basaca Fuentes absolutely nailed it with her clear, passionate delivery and comfortable stage presence.
Basaca Fuentes will head to to the National Poetry Out Loud Finals in Washington, D.C., April 27-29.
You can watch the entire Nevada competition below.
Desert Hearts Film Society continues at the auto museum
When the Desert Hearts Film Society launched in January, co-organizer Caroline Branch told the RN&R: “We have an emphasis on older film, international film and queer film,” adding that the group’s goal was to schedule monthly screenings at various venues.
The society’s second screening, David Lynch’s Lost Highway, is slated for Friday, March 27, at the National Automobile Museum. Doors open at 6:30. Tickets are $15 plus fees, available here.
To stay up to date on future screenings, afterparties and news, follow @desertheartsfilmsocietyreno on Instagram, or sign up for the email list.
Calling all local talent: It’s time to get on the Artown calendar
Artown is accepting submissions from artists, performers and other creatives to be part of the monthlong festival that takes place all over Reno and Sparks each July.
If you and/or your group produces performances, exhibitions, hands-on workshops or cultural showcases, you can get on the schedule at no charge. Artown’s press release reads, in part: “Approved events receive the benefit of Artown’s extensive marketing reach, including placement on the official festival website and in the iconic Artown Little Book with 50,000 English editions and 5,000 Spanish editions distributed throughout the region.” The prospectus notes that applications are being accepted from seasoned professionals and first-timers alike.
Applications are open at artown.org through March 31.
