Poem by Palisadian Teen to Appear in Upcoming Anthology

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Palisadian Alexandra du Manoir’s recent entry in the 23rd annual National High School Poetry Contest has been accepted for publication, announced on Thursday, October 1.

A current senior at Harvard-Westlake School, du Manoir told the Palisadian-Post that she’s been writing poetry for a long time, since she was about 8 years old.

“I used to write on little notepads in hotels when I was little,” du Manoir shared. “I’ve always felt the need to write things down and pause moments into words.”

Her poem, “exhibition,” will be a part of a future edition of the American High School Poets’ “My World.”

“My World” is an upcoming topical anthology, described as a collection of introspective poems written by teenagers from all over the country that explore “how today’s teens view their world and where they see themselves fitting into today’s complex moral and social issues,” according to a statement.

The work is a quarterly publication, published by the Live Poets Society of New Jersey in collaboration with the National High School Poetry’s quarterly magazine JUST POETRY!!!

Only about 100 works were chosen for publication—less than 2% of all the poems received this year. It is scheduled for publication on December 10.

Du Manoir said “exhibition” is a poem she wrote back in April about a deteriorating relationship and the need to commemorate it somehow.

“When someone you love is no longer accessible, you are left watching the connection crumble at your feet,” she explained. “However, you want to remember its beauty as well as its downfall, so you make it into art.”

This is the first time du Manoir’s poetry will be published—a significant milestone for the young writer.

“My work has been rejected many times, and it can be very disheartening to feel as though your work is insufficient, especially when it’s as personal as your art,” du Manoir said. “So this was an encouraging moment in my experience as a poet.

“However, I firmly believe that every piece of art inherently serves a purpose to the artist and the audience, regardless of publication.”

Du Manoir shared that she has a deep love for poetry, and she has no plans to stop writing any time soon, in hopes of inspiring others in the years to come.

“It not only keeps me sane, but writing is my medium to inspire and empower people,” she said to the Post. “I write a lot about my experience being a queer woman, and I hope to publish work that I would have wanted to read growing up.”