Poetry 99

Holy cow! So many people in this area are writing poetry! It is pretty inspiring. Thank you all for taking part in the Chico News & Review’s annual Poetry 99 contest. This year, we once again leaned on the 1078 Literary Committee to sort through the hundreds of submissions. The five-person committee is made up of Chico State, Butte College and local high-school English instructors, published writers, and editors, bringing an eclectic background of literary experience and expertise to the table when judging the various categories: kids (fifth grade and under), junior high school (grades sixth-eighth), high school (grades nine-12) and, of course, the wide range of adults.

And, we’re not done yet. All the winners (and all the honorable mentions) are invited to read their poems at the Poetry 99 reading at Lyon Books (135 Main St.), tonight, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. Enjoy the poems!

Notes: In the junior-high and high-school honorable mentions, there are students from Table Mountain School in Butte County Juvenile Hall who made the cut. The students’ last names have been omitted to protect anonymity.

Additionally, author names were removed from poems before being given to the judges.