Congratulations to Washington State champion of Poetry Out Loud Sydney Frost who rose “to the top from a field of over 8,000 students from 37 schools” statewide, and who will head to the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C. on May 6-7.
Sydney chose “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, “There are no kings in America” by Aileen Cassinetto, and “No, I wasn’t meant to love and be loved” by Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, translated by Vijay Seshadri.
“[Sydney] says one critique she heard most often from Poetry Out Loud judges in the past was that she looked nervous, but, now in her fourth year competing, she looks far from it while reciting the powerful words of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib and Aileen Cassinetto.” (Source: Inlander, May 1, 2025)
Congratulations also to Tuolumne County, California Poetry Out Loud 2025 Finalist Tianna Walts who recited “Amor Mundi” by Christina Rossetti, “Self-Portrait with Sylvia Plath’s Braid” by Diane Seuss, and “There are no kings in America” by Aileen Cassinetto (at 22:58).
Aileen Cassinetto 