Poets, Start Your Engines!
In 2016, more than 200 poets from across the world and from ages 8 to 85 submitted an Indy 500-themed poem for a chance to be named the Official Poet for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Internationally touring performance poet Adam Henze of Bloomington, Ind., won the contest and Mike Murphy, a writer and poet from Baltimore, Md., received second-place. Judges also named 31 poems “honorable mention” to create a starting field of 33 poems – just like the race itself.
The contest, sponsored by Indiana Humanities and the 100th Running Host Committee, revives a tradition from the 1920s, when an official poem was included in the race day program. This year, the poetry contest is an initiative of the Arts, Culture & Youth Committee of the 100th Running Host Committee. The purpose of the Arts, Culture & Youth Committee is to create cultural connections between the race and the community, promoting conversation and education around the 100th running.
“We are excited to celebrate this iconic year by incorporating the power of poetry into one of Indiana’s most cherished traditions.” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities.
Judges for the contest included best-selling author John Green, former Indiana poet laureate Joyce Brinkman, spoken word artist January York and Dr. Joseph Trimmer, emeritus professor of English and director emeritus of the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry at Ball State University. Entries were scored blindly and selections were based upon theme, syntax, imagery, tone and rhythm.
“I loved reading through the outstanding range of submissions – there were those that evoked the race-day experience for 300,000 fans, and then those that recreated a specific memory for one person with detail and personality,” said Green, who serves as co-chair for the 500 Festival Host Committee this year. “It was incredible to see the connections people here in Indy have with the race and to see that it reverberates across the world and across generations.”
As the winning poet, Henze received a cash prize of $1,000 and two tickets to the race, and he’ll have the opportunity to read the poem at the track during qualification weekend. In addition, the poem, titled “For Those Who Love Fast, Loud Things,” will be featured in the official 2016 program.
Henze is an educator and Ph.D. student at Indiana University and is the director of an academic summer camp for high school writers. He said the goal of his submission was to create a 500 anthem all Indy Car fans would be proud to identify with.
Second-place winner Murphy was one of a number of entrants from outside Indiana, and received a $500 prize. Read all of the winning poems and see a list of the field of 33 poets and their hometowns, below.
The field of 33 includes:
- Melissa Aughe – Speedway, Ind.
- Richard Carpenter – Chesterfield, Ind.
- Marissa Coon Rose – Muncie, Ind.
- Michael Courtney – Bringhurst, Ind.
- Abi Douglas – Indianapolis
- Lisa Fipps – Kokomo, Ind.
- Jenny Froehle – Indianapolis
- Marc Harshman – Wheeling, W.Va.
- Joseph Heithaus – Greencastle, Ind.
- Adam Henze – Bloomington, Ind.
- David Hoppe – Long Beach, Ind.
- Lisa Johnson – Brownsburg, Ind.
- Rebecca Kai Dotlich – Carmel, Ind.
- Jenny Kalahar – Elwood, Ind.
- Sarah K. Ginter – Indianapolis
- Micah Ling – New York
- Kevin McKelvey – Indianapolis
- Tracy Mishkin – Indianapolis
- Mike Murphy – Baltimore, Md.
- Adam Phillips – Boise, Idaho
- Anna Saikin – Missouri City, Texas
- G.E. Schwartz – West Henrietta, N.Y.
- Andrew Scott – Indianapolis
- Joanna Oltman Smith – Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Nanette South Clark – Italy, Texas
- Paul Spite – Valparaiso, Ind.
- Andrew Stautz – Indianapolis
- Matt Tapp – Westfield, Ind.
- Shari Wagner – Westfield, Ind.
- Evan Walters – Lebanon, Ind.
- Jennifer Walton – Indianapolis
- Brandy Wilkinson – Fishers, Ind.