From the desk of Rand Simmons

Miles Hewitt of Vancouver Washington was one of five student poets chosen as finalists in the National Student Poets Program. Miles represents the West region of the United States. The awards were announced at the 2012 National Book Festival in Washington DC in September.

The National Student Poets Program is in its inaugural year. It is a joint project of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Miles is a student at Vancouver (WA) School of Arts and Academics. A writer since the third grade Miles turned to song writing in the eighth grade penning more than 100 songs in the years since. With musical mentors such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, Miles has self-recorded two albums that reflect his generation’s sounds and feelings.

Now a junior at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics Miles in into poetry. He is a member of a small group of burgeoning writers that come together to workshop each other’s writing and offer support.

Miles will appear in an evening program on November 29 with the Washington Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken. The program is sponsored by the Washington State Library. During the program Kathleen and Miles will converse with each other about their writing and will read selections of their poems. Hopefully, Miles will bring his guitar and sing a few songs for us.

We are extremely proud to have a National Student Poet in our State. Right on, Miles! Write on.