From left to right: Perry County Council of the Arts Executive Director Jasmine Colbert, Perry County Poet Laureate Brooke Mitchell, Perry County Commissioner Brenda Watson.

Brooke Mitchell, of Newport was named 2022’s Perry County Poet Laureate for her poem “Last Night on the Farm” 

Brooke Mitchell, “Bird” 

First Place
Alane J. Balchunas, “Stars, Sand, Birds”

Second Place
Ellie Cameron, “Forsythia”

Third Place
Beck Emerick, “skylark”

Professor • Author • Poet
A Central Pennsylvania native, Professor Louis Land earned his BA from the same college where he now teaches, Susquehanna University. He obtained his MA from another Central Pennsylvanian college, Bucknell University. When he’s not judging poetry, he can be found playing music, writing his own poetry, and grading students’ essays.

Our prizes include First, Second, Third, Honorable Mention, and the Siggy David Award for poems written in any form with the theme of “Whimsy,” chosen by last year’s SDA Award winner Eydie Wight. Perry County residents will be eligible for the title of Perry County Poet Laureate.

The Poetic Excellence Awards will take place at 6:30 pm at our coffeehouse event. Open mic night will follow the awards. For more information on our coffeehouse event, click here:  Coffeehouse – Perry County Council of the Arts (perrycountyarts.org)

Elizabeth Yon-1999

Ed Rech-2000

Melody Davis-2001

Joy Campbell-2002

Ann Benvenuto-2003

Melody Davis-2004

Melanie Simms-2005

Cordelia Jensen-2006

Cordelia Jensen-2007

Beth Jacobs-2008

Sandra Philpott-2009

Samantha McAlicher-2010

Fritz Williams-2011

Sandra Philpott-2012

William Davies Jr.-2013

Kenneth J. Little-2014

William Davies Jr.-2015

Lynne Reeder-2016

William Davies Jr.-2017

Lynne Reeder-2018

Lynne Reeder-2019

Lynne Reeder-2020

Lynne Reeder-2021

Brooke Mitchell-2022