Zuni teen headed to Poetry Out Loud competition

Monday, March 19, 2007  

Fantasia Lonjose, a 17-year-old member of the Zuni Tribe of New Mexico, is headed to the national Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, D.C.

Lonjose, a student at Santa Fe Indian High School, has been wowing audiences with her performances. She won the state finals for the second year in a row.

"You should see her recite her own poetry," her teacher, Tim McLaughlin,, told The Albuquerque Journal. "Sometimes people just start crying when she performs

Lonjose admits she is shy in class but that she comes alive when reciting her poems. "But on stage, it's my time, like, 'This is my moment,'" she says.

She will showcase her skills at the national competition from April 29-May 1. Last year, she placed in the semifinals and hopes to improve her standing.

Get the Story:
SFIS Is Getting Statewide Recognition for Fantasia Lonjose's Soul-Searching Poetry (The Albuquerque Journal 3/19)

$rl Poetry Out Loud - http://www.poetryoutloud.org