Join Chicago Public Library on April 27 for the 25th anniversary of Poetry Fest at Harold Washington Library Center. The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., features an impressive lineup of workshops, open mics and presentations all centered around poetry. View the full list of events below and learn more about celebrating Poetry month at CPL.
Haiku Fest 20th Annual Awards Ceremony
10 a.m.
Haiku Festival’s 20th Anniversary Awards Program is a family-friendly event of award-winning poetry and essay readings by 8-to-18-year-olds, Nōtan art, piano music by Anaya Brainch, Tsukasa Taiko Drummers led by Tatsu Aoki, James Morehead, Poet Laureate of Dublin, CA, and the 20th Anniversary Anthology of Haiku Festival Poetry.
Regina Harris Baiocchi is an award-winning composer, author, and Pushcart- nominated poet. In 2004, Regina founded Haiku Festival to celebrate children, promote literacy, and present workshops, readings, and competitions. Regina writes critically acclaimed poetry, music, fiction, and nonfiction. Her poetry books include urban haiku, blues haiku, and at the gate of the sun (haiku, senryu, monoku, cento, Fibonacci, and free verse). In 2024 Haiku Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary and second poetry anthology.
Poems While You Wait
11 a.m.
Poems While You Wait, founded by Dave Landsberger, Kathleen Rooney and Eric Plattner, is a collective of poets and their manual typewriters whose mission is to appear around the city in public places – street festivals, museums, libraries, theaters and other events – to provide their patrons with a magical, unexpected, unpretentious and decontextualized encounter with poetry. No requested topic is too big or too small, too funny or too sad, too silly or too serious.
Mapping Our Relationships
11 a.m.
This interactive poetry workshop explores how relationships shape who we are and help us grow as individuals. We will explore how poets Jasmine Mans, Khadijah Queen and others used tone and imagery in their poetry to express relationships in their own lives. Through a group discussion and writing prompt, we will discuss the different types of relationships we encounter and the lessons we learn from them. Whether it’s our community, a family member, or friend, relationships can have a profound impact on our lives. We will reflect on the relationships in your life and how they have shaped you individually.
Mariah Scott is a storyteller, content specialist and wellness advocate. Her work celebrates diversity, healing, inclusivity and freedom. She has devoted her career to developing equitable arts curriculum and programming for K-12 and adult learners. She has worked with Chicago Public Schools and Community Based Organizations in the New York City area, providing poetry workshops for participants interested in exploring the art of storytelling. Mariah Scott has written, produced, and starred in her first sold out one woman show, The Crown She Wears, which piloted off-Broadway in NYC and toured nationwide. She has performed on platforms: NBA G-League and SchoolWorks.
Panel: Poetry and Censorship
11 a.m.
For as long as poetry has existed, there have been voices silenced, books banned, and words burned. While history has shown us the attempts to censor various voices, our current literary landscape is still emphasizing the need to stand up for the written and spoken word. Join us as we discuss poets and poetry collections who have been challenged and what we can do about it.
Beatriz Badikian-Gartler earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has taught at various institutions of higher learning. Most recently her work appeared in the anthology Wherever I’m At – an Anthology of Chicago Poetry. She is a popular performer in the Chicago area and lectures often on literature, women’s issues, and art. Her latest poetry collection, Unveiling the Mind, was published by Pandora/LoboEstepario Press in 2014.
Robert Eric Shoemaker is a poet and interdisciplinary artist whose work explores magic, translation, and queerness. He is the author of three books: Ca’Venezia (Partial Press 2021), We Knew No Mortality (Acta Publications 2018), and 30 Days Dry (Thought Collection Publishing 2015). Eric has published work in Signs and Society, Jacket2, Entropy, Call Me [Out], Rattle, Asymptote, ANMLY, Exchanges, the Louisville Review, Tiny Spoon, and other journals. Eric is the digital archive editor at the Poetry Foundation. He earned a PhD from the University of Louisville, an MFA from Naropa University, and a BA from the University of Chicago.
Mario Smith is the host/Executive Producer of News from the Service Entrance with Mario Smith on WLPN-LP Lumpen Radio in Chicago and the host of the Silverroom’s Randomly Selected podcast and the co-host of the podcast Who You Got with Mike & Mario. He was featured in the Chicago Reader’s The People Issue in 2022. His poetry appears in books Power Lines: A Decade Of Poetry from Chicago’s Guild Complex and The BreakBeat Poets as published by Haymarket Press.”
Check the Method With Avery R. Young and Young Chicago Authors
Noon
Currently led by veteran teaching artist and YCA alumna E’mon Lauren, Check The Method meets every Saturday and creates a space for young people to come together to find inspiration in their daily life, write poems, develop performances, and learn more about the craft. During the workshop, students read the work of contemporary poets, respond to prompts and free-write, then share their work with their peers. This workshop is for teens only.
Poetry Fest Reading: The Stories We Tell
Noon
We invite you to step into worlds of those whose voices are missing from the narrative. Join us as three dynamic poets and activists read their work.
Daniel Borzutzky’s most recent book is Written After a Massacre in the Year 2018. His 2016 collection, The Performance of Becoming Human, received the National Book Award. Lake Michigan (2018) was a finalist for the Griffin International Poetry Prize. His most recent translation is Paula Ilabaca Nuñez’s The Loose Pearl (2022), winner of the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. His translation of Galo Ghigliotto’s Valdivia received ALTA’s 2017 National Translation Award, and he has translated collections by Raúl Zurita, and Jaime Luis Huenún. He teaches in the English and Latin American and Latino Studies Departments at UIC.
Crystal Vance Guerra is a chicana poet, historian, and educator based in and between Chicago and Mexico City. Her art is latinamericanist at root, often spanglish in expression, and written to be read out loud. Depending on the language, each poem reveals a facet of Crystal’s upbringing: southeast side Chicago or the outskirts of Mexico City as she blends theatrics with history and science. Crystal is the founder of Chicago’s only poetry slam in Spanish, Slam Diáspora, which brings together Latinx poets in the U.S. and poets across Latin America to foster unity between poetic communities despite the borders.
Mariah Scott is a storyteller, content specialist and wellness advocate. Her work celebrates diversity, healing, inclusivity and freedom. She has devoted her career to developing equitable arts curriculum and programming for K-12 and adult learners. She has worked with Chicago Public Schools and Community Based Organizations in the New York City area, providing poetry workshops for participants interested in exploring the art of storytelling. Mariah Scott has written, produced, and starred in her first, sold-out, one- woman show, The Crown She Wears, which piloted off-Broadway in NYC and toured nationwide. She has performed on platforms: NBA G-League and SchoolWorks.
How to Write a Silly Poem When the Only Silly Poet You Know is a Racist Cat Who Wears a Striped Hat
Noon
In this program, we will learn to write a silly poem together. We will use Mad Lib style prompts to play with words and find your specific voice. Together, we’ll read fun and ridiculous poetry by some of the best funny poets and use their framework to discover your style and rhythm. By the end of the workshop, you will have a poem that will make you laugh and a stack of prompts to keep the poetry silliness flowing whenever you need a little inspiration!
Al Kelly is a writer and performer based in Chicago. She has facilitated and led poetry workshops for more than 4 years. She has hosted and participated in poetry events in homes, in coffee shops, at retreats, and over zoom. She believes that anyone can understand poetry, relate to poetry, and write poetry if given the right tools. She self-published a small collection of poems called Imaginings on Love and has been featured in several online publications. She is for Black and brown people everywhere. She believes in the power of laughter and the magic of nature.
The Art of Contracting for Poetry
1 p.m.
In this program, the audience will be walked through line by line of sample contracts to learn how to create their own payment contracts for poetry related work.
Eros is an international award-winning poet and recording artist. He is 2020’s Ham Slam Poetry Champion, the C.E.O and Founder of Hot Chocolate Poetry, The National Spoken Word Awards 2022’s winner for Best Host and Best Open Mic. His project The LoveHer Album (streaming on all platforms) as well as his books (sold exclusively on Amazon) have sparked necessary discussions around transparency and vulnerability in relationships.
Recharge Your Poetry
1 p.m.
Discover new ways to generate ideas for poems, recharge your work, and find your voice as a poet. Join poet Cynthia Gallaher on this one-hour exploration of ways to write poems using visual prompts and personal preferences as creative springboards. You will leave completing two drafts of poems. This workshop is sponsored by Poets & Patrons.
Cynthia Gallaher is a Chicago-based poet and author of four poetry collections, including Epicurean Ecstasy: More Poems About Food, Drink, Herbs and Spices, and three chapbooks, including Drenched. Her award- winning nonfiction/memoir/creativity guide is Frugal Poets’ Guide to Life: How to Live a Poetic Life, Even If You Aren’t a Poet.
Poets & Patrons is one of the oldest Chicago poetry organizations.
Keynote Poet: Ada Limón
2 p.m.
Chicago Public Library and the Poetry Foundation is pleased to welcome the 24th United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón as part of our Voices for Justice Series and as our keynote speaker for our 25th Annual Poetry Fest.
Ada Limón is the author of six books of poetry, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her most recent book of poetry, The Hurting Kind, was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize. She is the 24th Poet Laureate of The United States and the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. As the Poet Laureate, her signature project is called You Are Here and focuses on how poetry can help connect us to the natural world.
24th Annual Poetry Fest Open Mic With Eros
3 p.m.
Join us in celebration of 25 years of poetry in this open event that allows artists of all expressions to showcase their talents in front of a live audience.
Eros is an International Award-Winning Poet and Recording Artist. He is 2020’s Ham Slam Poetry Champion, the C.E.O and Founder of Hot Chocolate Poetry, The National Spoken Word Awards 2020, 2021, and 2022’s Nominee for Best Male Poet and Best Album, and 2022’s winner for Best Host and Best Open Mic. He is curator of Chicago’s first Spoken Word showcase at the Willis Tower. He has one goal: Spread love everywhere that hatred lives.
Poetry Fest Vendors
After Hours Press
Poets & Patrons of Chicago
Grandma’s House
Bridge
Chicago Poetry Center
Illinois State Poetry Society
Poems While You Wait
