Mumford poetry contest has become a tradition
A recent Sunday was a special day at the Cornwall Public Library. After a two-year hiatus caused by COVID, the library hosted a reception for the winners of the Mumford Poetry Contest.
Not every event endures and becomes a tradition. The contest is an exception. It’s named for Timothy Mumford, an award-winning poet who died in his sleep in 2006 at the age of 24.
Mr. Mumford’s parents now live in Cape Cod, but they participated in the reception via Zoom. They recognized several people in the audience – among them Dean Satterly, who worked with Tim when he was a teenage intern at the library.
Meaghan Doyle, the library’s head of adult services, hosted the program on April 24. She remembered Tim from when they were both in high school. At the time, he was known as a talented musician. His ability as a poet was discovered later.
The annual contest was open to youngsters between the ages of 5 and 18. There were no geographic boundaries. Participants were able to submit two poems on any subject. Among the judges were Robert Milby (an Orange County poet laureate) and Amanda Brandt (a former Cornwall Central Middle School teacher). It’s not a short assignment. The judges spend several hours reviewing the poems.
Mrs. Brandt, who was at the reception, acknowledged that it’s time-consuming, but it’s a job that she enjoys.
The Friends of the Library provided the prizes for the winners – a gift bag and a $35 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. The audience in the library’s Community Room heard the winning poems as well as some of the other submissions. This year’s honorees were:
5-6 Brady Bengyak
7-9 Anya Olsen
10-12 Delilah Morrell
13-15 Ellen Kramer
16-18 David Kramer
Ellen Kramer’s poem was selected as the best in the competition. At the end of the reception, the crowd lingered to chat and enjoy the refreshments. Mrs. Mumford thanked the library for keeping poetry and Tim’s memory alive. She revealed that Tim had left several notebooks with his poems and reflections.
“I’m glad that the library remembers him,” she said.
