David Jones named city youth poet laureate

Seventeen-year-old David Jones, who'll be a senior this fall at West Philadelphia High, was not surprised when he learned he had been named Philadelphia's next youth poet laureate.

"It was super cool," he said after receiving the honor during a City Hall ceremony in front of his family, friends, and city officials including Mayor Nutter. "Honestly, I kind of expected it."

Jones, who has been writing poetry for years, was calm and confident as he recited one of his poems, Birds, an homage to Maya Angelou's famous work.

"Pretty birds have the worst songs," he said slowly, allowing each word to make an impact. His audience was rapt, paying attention to every word.

And when he finished with, "So if you've never been in chains, you won't understand why the caged bird sings," they clapped their hands with vigor.

Jones believes that poetry is an art form that goes far beyond the written word. "Slam poetry," Jones' specialty, involves delivering poems in dramatic recitations, in which performance is valued as deeply as content.

"There's a power in it [slam poetry], because people have different messages," said the teenager. "So it's like saying what you want, teaching people that their voice matters."

As Philadelphia's 2015-16 youth poet laureate, Jones will have the opportunity to promote poetry in the city through initiatives of his own creation. Jones said he hopes to spread slam poetry, bringing it to every high school in the city.

He'll be helped by the city's poet laureate, Frank Sherlock. He will also receive a $1,000 stipend.

Jones is Philadelphia's third youth poet laureate, and the first male to receive the honor, Nutter said.

"David would like to speak his generation's language and use his poetry to relate to the young men of our city," Nutter said.

Nutter also highlighted the importance of art education, especially when school budgets are tight.

"So many of you are so resilient in your focus and in your work and in your commitment," Nutter said. "You're not letting many of the things that adults are not doing to help you out get in the way."

The competition, which received almost 20 applications, named three finalists before selecting a winner. Shirmina Smith of the Academy at Palumbo and Jada Elder-Wilkerson of Girls' High School were honored along with Jones at the reception.

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