Norwich High School sophomore finishes in top group during New York City poetry slam final
NORWICH – Patricia McNeil, a Norwich High School sophomore, placed among the top 23 out of 500 teenagers who competed in the Urban Word NYC Annual Teen Poetry Slam held at the Apollo Theater in Harlem last Saturday.
McNeil performed her original poem, ‘Letter To My Daughter On Her 16th Birthday’ flawlessly, according to her teacher and Norwich High School Poetry Team Manager Richard Bernstein.
“It was a stunning performance,” Bernstein said.
After the performance, McNeil, the daughter of Jim and Libby McNeil of Norwich, said, “I am happy that I made it as far as I did, and I kind of feel itching to do it again next year.”
Her journey began in February when she competed in Urban Word NYC’s preliminaries held at the Nuyorican Poets Club in the city’s West Village. There, her scores qualified her to compete in the the semifinals on March 21 at the Bowery Poetry Club. She was one of 22 remaining slam poets to competd at the Apollo March 27. Six were ultimately selected for Urban Word’s national team.
“She was up against the best competition I’ve ever seen at that age,” Bernstein said, adding that Urban Word’s slam is among the most prestigious and competitive slams in the New York metropolitan area. McNeil is his first student to participate.
Bernstein’s poetry teams have captured numerous titles and awards for Norwich High School over the past decade. He was one of about 1,400 in attendance at the event, including a large group of Norwich supporters who traveled by bus to the competition to cheer McNeil on.
The young talent is also published. McNeil’s poem, “Jillian” was picked up by the Susquehanna Apprentice Writer in 2008. She took third place in the Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival slam in September 2009, and has performed at the State University College in Oneonta, at Bright Hill Press in Treadwell and Delhi, and locally at the Blarney Stone and Cafe Connection in Norwich. She has been a member of the Norwich High School poetry team for two years and also acted in school and community musical productions.
Urban Word NYC is a grassroots non-profit organization that provides free, safe, uncensored and ongoing writing and performance opportunities for NYC teens. It was established in partnership with the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in 1999. At a poetry slam, five judges assign a score to each original poem performed without the aid of props, costumes, or musical accompaniment.
McNeil performed her original poem, ‘Letter To My Daughter On Her 16th Birthday’ flawlessly, according to her teacher and Norwich High School Poetry Team Manager Richard Bernstein.
“It was a stunning performance,” Bernstein said.
After the performance, McNeil, the daughter of Jim and Libby McNeil of Norwich, said, “I am happy that I made it as far as I did, and I kind of feel itching to do it again next year.”
Her journey began in February when she competed in Urban Word NYC’s preliminaries held at the Nuyorican Poets Club in the city’s West Village. There, her scores qualified her to compete in the the semifinals on March 21 at the Bowery Poetry Club. She was one of 22 remaining slam poets to competd at the Apollo March 27. Six were ultimately selected for Urban Word’s national team.
“She was up against the best competition I’ve ever seen at that age,” Bernstein said, adding that Urban Word’s slam is among the most prestigious and competitive slams in the New York metropolitan area. McNeil is his first student to participate.
Bernstein’s poetry teams have captured numerous titles and awards for Norwich High School over the past decade. He was one of about 1,400 in attendance at the event, including a large group of Norwich supporters who traveled by bus to the competition to cheer McNeil on.
The young talent is also published. McNeil’s poem, “Jillian” was picked up by the Susquehanna Apprentice Writer in 2008. She took third place in the Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival slam in September 2009, and has performed at the State University College in Oneonta, at Bright Hill Press in Treadwell and Delhi, and locally at the Blarney Stone and Cafe Connection in Norwich. She has been a member of the Norwich High School poetry team for two years and also acted in school and community musical productions.
Urban Word NYC is a grassroots non-profit organization that provides free, safe, uncensored and ongoing writing and performance opportunities for NYC teens. It was established in partnership with the Teachers & Writers Collaborative in 1999. At a poetry slam, five judges assign a score to each original poem performed without the aid of props, costumes, or musical accompaniment.
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