Stan Brown
Teen Poetry Contest

Stan Brown

The Teen Poetry Contest of the Ojai Poetry Festival is named in honor of Stan Brown, a teacher and poet who inspired many local writers. Stan worked with poets of all ages in the Ojai Valley: he was an active member and leader of a senior citizen writing group at Help of Ojai, he was an energetic participant in the Ojai Art Center Writer's Group and the Rivertalk poets, and he delighted in visiting writing classes in local schools where he read his own poetry and critiqued the students' work. Stan was instrumental in helping organize the first Festival in 2003. He spearheaded the addition of a Festival contest for young poets, and was an active part of the organization and judging of the contest. Stan died in 2006. In memory and recognition of the many poets he nurtured and inspired in the Ojai Valley, The Ojai Poetry Festival remembers his work by adopting the name, The Stan Brown Teen Prize.

The goal of the contest is to encourage young poets from the Ojai Valley to see themselves as writers in the larger world and to take part in an event that brings some of the best poets in the country to Ojai. In 2003 there were only a few entries for the contest, but in 2005 over forty entries were received. Second place winner was Sarah Chamberlain of Thacher School; the first place winner was Jessie Stern of Oak View. We encourage students in the Ojai Valley to submit poems for the 2007 contest.

Congratulations to the 2007 Stan Brown Teen Contest Winners:

Laignee Barron,
Teen Contest Winner,
First Place

Anna Mae Reeser,
Teen Contest Winner,
Second Place

Congratulations to the 2005 winners,
Sarah Chamberlain and Jessie Stern.