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Chicago Poetry Scene Top 130
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The Year Of Making It Happen Together
| NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS OF POETRY FOR CRAM VOLUME 8
20 copies of Jason Sturner's chapbook "10 Love Poems" will be given away free at
Help us break the Cafe Ballou Poetry Cram Record of 26 poets with these special guests
Cathleen Schandelmeier, Denise Aktipis, Robin Fine, Verna Buchanan, Sue Cargill,
Jose Bono, Sid Yiddish, Dan Cleary, Donna Kiser, Dina Stuart, and Judith Wiker.
Bring a sexy, witty, funny, dirty, angry or gooshy-mooshy-wooshy poem to read.
And Don't Let A Little Snow Stop Ya!
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Chicago Poetry Special Announcements
Posted by : cj on Saturday, February 06, 2010 - 12:27 PM
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 Chicago State University will present "Builder of Positive Reality: A Celebration of the Lifelong Achievements of Dr. Haki R. Madhubuti & the 20th Anniversary of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing." It will happen on April 1st thru April 3rd and it will feature Angela Jackson, JoAnne Gabbin, Trudier Harris, Maryemma Graham, R. Dwayne Betts, Randall Horton, Jericho Brown, John Murillo, Marcus Jackson, Tony Medina, John Fountain, Jabari Asim, Treasure Williams and many others, with "Giant’s Day Honoree" Nikki Giovanni. For information on registration please contact the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at 773-995-4440 or gbrookscenter@gmail.com.
If you click on this link you can scroll down the page and reserve a copy of Kathleen Kirk's new book, Living on the Earth, which is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. Or you can send $15 to the press at P. O. Box 1626, Georgetown, KY 40324. It will be shipped to you on April 30.
If you click on this link you can see a ten minute preview of the new documentary "Louder Than A Bomb" made by Chicago filmmakers Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel and starring Kevin Coval and some very talented young poets. On Saturday, February 20, from 6 to 9 PM, there will be a festival kickoff party with a special fine cut screening of the feature length film at Columbia College Film Row, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Fl. Tickets for this fundraiser are $25 at the door.
 Here's a cool opportunity that you should take advantage of. Caffeine Theatre seeks short original performance pieces of all kinds (music, dance, theatre, spoken word, poetry, etc.) for the Emily Dickinson Coffeehouse, March 2010. The Coffeehouse celebrates the work of American poet Emily Dickinson. Any and all pieces inspired by Dickinson’s life, work, or themes are welcome. Please email a 1-2 page proposal (or, if the written piece already exists, send that) to Artistic Director Jennifer Shook at jen@caffeinetheatre.com including (with understanding that transformation occurs in process) a description of your proposed piece, how many people you expect to be involved, estimated length, and any required resources. (Consideration will be given to minimal pieces with brief setup and small spatial needs.) Please use “Coffeehouse submission” in the subject heading. Some rehearsal space will be available on a first-come basis. Casting assistance is also available as required and appropriate. Out-of-Chicago artists are encouraged to send a script or music or poem to be performed by in-town artists. The Emily Dickinson Coffeehouse is produced in conjunction with Caffeine’s production of Wild Nights with Emily, a quirky queer comedy by Madeleine Olnek running at the Lincoln Square Arts Center March 5-April 1, 2010. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 18, 2010. Accepted pieces will be notified by February 25, 2010.
Caffeine also seeks original poetry for Dwelling in Possibility: Poetry to Take Your Head Off competition. Submissions may include any size or style of poem, as long as it is inspired in some way by Emily Dickinson’s life or work, or in some way speaks in conversation with that life or work. Winners will be posted and podcast on Caffeine’s website, and performed at the Emily Dickinson Coffeehouse in March. Any new or previously written poem may be submitted (provided it can be republished / recorded / performed). TO SUBMIT: Email poem(s) and 3-5 sentence description of relation to Emily Dickinson to Caffeine Theatre Artistic Director Jennifer Shook at jen@caffeinetheatre.com with “dwelling in possibility” in the subject heading. DEADLINE: February 28, 2009.
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Poetry Spots In Chicago
Posted by : cj on Friday, February 05, 2010 - 04:05 PM
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286 Reads
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Hiya poets,
I was off the radar for a week during my extended vacation into the country, but now I'm back. I want to thank everyone who donated money to help me keep ChicagoPoetry.com rolling for three more years. I'm happy to report that I've used a bit of your dough to renew some domain names up until the year 2012, so rest assured Chicago Poetry Show will be published as promised.
Hey gals. Do you want to learn about a chance to win $500 in the 1st Annual POW-WOW "She Slam Competition with a "fierce line-up of celebrity judges"? To learn more and to registration, contact powwowoutreach@gmail.com before February 27.
 Virtual Artists Collective presents its new title, Ink on Snow, by Elizabeth Raby, who has taught in Romania and holds an MFA in Poetry from Temple University. Raby is also the author of The Black Kingdom at the Heart of the Peony and The Year the Pears Bloomed Twice. She has been one of the featured readers at the Day for All Women conference at Bucks County Community College and the Geraldine Dodge Festival. You can order it by clicking here.
Another Chicago Magazine will soon be coming out with a "Chicago issue." Poetry Cram will also be coming out with a Chicago issue. And I've also learned that one of Chicago's longest lasting online zines, Milk Magazine, will also be coming out with a Chicago themed issue. In the meantime, you can click here to check out Milk Mag Volume 9 with work by Ed Baker, Jessica Baron, Michael Bernstein, Daniel Borzutzky, William Corbett, Steve Dalachinsky, Steve Halle, Duriel Harris, Reginald Harris, Zach Harris, Pierre Joris, Megan Kaminski, Vincent Katz, Amy King, Rob Mclennan, K. Silem Mohammad, Simon Perchik, Kathleen Rooney, Elisa Gabbert, Spencer Selby, Jordan Stempleman, Steve Timm, Arpine Grenier, Gene Tanta and Tony Trigilio.
So what's going on around town, you may ask? Well . . .
On Saturday, February 6, Immaculate Conception Parish "Joy Room" at 1431 N. Northpark will present a reading by Al DeGenova and Judith Valente from 6 to 7:30 PM. There will be wine, cheese and champagne as well at this free event. Oh, and speaking of Judith Valente, click here to read a new review of her work.
On Sunday, February 7, the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill Lounge, 4802 North Broadway St, will present featured guests The Mojdeh Project. It goes down from 7 to 10 PM with an open mic and a slam and there is a $6 cover for this 21 and over event.
 Also on Sunday, February 7, the Myopic Books Poetry Series, 1564 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 2nd Fl, will present readings by Allyssa Wolf and Philip Jenks. It happens at 7 PM and it's free
On Monday, February 8, Molly Malone's, 7652 Madison St, Forest Park, will present featured guest Steven Schroeder. This open mic event happens from 7 to 9:30 PM and there is a $3 to $5 donation requested.
On Tuesday, February 9, The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia Ave., will present "Funny Ha Ha Loves You" from 6:30 to 8 PM. This is billed as "Chicago's beloved literary humor reading" and it features Cameron Esposito-Blogger, Kate Harding, James Kennedy, Fred Sasaki and Robbie Q. Telfer, with films by Steve Delahoyde. Claire Zulkey will host. There is a $5 suggested donation. Proceeds benefit the Neighborhood Writing Alliance.
On Thursday, February 11, at 7 PM, The Silver Tongue Reading Series will present special guest Jason Bredle at 731 S. Plymouth Court. Silver Tongue is Columbia College's student curated reading series that features student's word based work and that has a different theme every month. This month's theme is "Penny Dreadful," referring to insulting valentines and greeting cards meant to shock and offend. If you want to read or be considered for Silver tongue's year end print anthology, send submissions to silvertonguecolumbia@gmail.com with the subject line "Vinegar Valentines" by February 7th!
It's back! On Monday, February 15, Weeds, 1555 N. Dayton, will present the 23rd Annual Erotica Exotica Poetry Night, starting at 10 PM. There will be prizes for the most erotic poem of the night and other surprises, so arrive early to sign up.
 On Sunday, February 28, from 1:30 to 4:30 PM, Michael Meyerhofer will be traveling all the way from Muncie, Indiana, to lead the Rhino Poetry Forum! Join them with 15+ copies of a poem you would like critiqued. It happens at the Evanston Library, Church and Orrington, Evanston.
On Saturday, March 6, at 7:30 PM, Switchback Books will be hosting a "Housewarming Party" at Fulton Street Collective, 2000 W Fulton St. Featured readers will include Simone Muench, Lina ramona Vitkauskas, Carlo Matos, and Brandi Homan. There will be beer! A $10 donation is suggested.
On Saturday, March 27, at 8 PM, SPACE at 1245 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, will present "Ellen Rosner & Friends." Tickets help a breast cancer patient support fund and range from $10 to $18; they can be purchased here..
Don't forget the Poetry Cram happens on the second Saturday of every month at Cafe Ballou, 939 N. Western Ave, with a special Valentines Day event on February 13.
See you soon at a poetry venue near you,
CJ Laity
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April 17: Sam Hamill at Unity Temple in Oak Park
Posted by : cj on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 11:07 AM
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500 Reads
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 On Saturday, April 17, Charlie Rossiter and the Unity Temple, 835 W. Lake St. in downtown Oak Park, will present two special events featuring Poet, Publisher, Translator, and Founder of Poets Against the War, Sam Hamill. This will be a rare opportunity to spend time with one of the major poets and cultural forces of our time. Sam Hamill is the author of more than forty books, including fifteen volumes of original poetry (most recently Measured by Stone and Almost Paradise: New & Selected Poems & Translations); four collections of literary essays; and some of the most distinguished translations of ancient Chinese and Japanese classics of the last half-century. Hamill co-founded, and for thirty-two years was editor, at Copper Canyon Press. He taught in prisons for fourteen years and has worked extensively with battered women and children. Mr. Hamill also inspired tens of thousands of poets across the country and across the world to protest the war in Iraq, after a White House poetry symposium was cancelled for fear that anti-war poetry would be read.
"The Practice of Poetry," an intimate workshop and discussion with Mr. Hamill (limited to 20 participants) will take place at the Temple from 2 to 4 PM. And then, "An Evening of Poetry with Sam Hamill," a special 3rd Saturday Coffeehouse event, will take place at 8 PM. Tickets for these events will become available starting February 1. Tickets for the workshop can be purchased for $20 from BrownPaperTickets by clicking here and tickets for the reading can be purchased for $9 by clicking here. Please note there will be no open mic. for the evening reading. These events are funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. and the Social Mission Committee of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. For more information please contact 708-660-9376.
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What Chicago Poets Want To Know
Posted by : cj on Monday, January 25, 2010 - 02:25 PM
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Hey poets. Shhhh. Here's some poetry gossip for you.
 After almost 3 and a half years as the Program Director of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance and the Associate Editor of the Journal of Ordinary Thought, Rupal Soni has stepped down to pursue a Masters in Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Rupal Soni (photo) says: "I’ve loved working with NWA to support our dedicated and talented writers; to develop programs that weave together community writing, social justice, and community building; to help amplify the voices of Chicago’s communities in the Journal of Ordinary Thought; and to collaborate with each of you. With that being said, NWA has a solid and creative line-up of programming set for 2010, the steady leadership of Carrie guiding the way, and a fantastic new editor, Hollen Reischer, joining the team. It’s going to be a great year."
The buzz from the ChicagoPoetry news desk is that Al DeGenova's After Hours magazine will be marking its 10th anniversary with a double issue to be released in June, 2010. There will be no winter issue of After Hours this year.
Find out how you can enter the 2010 "Poetry Challenge" by going to HighlandParkPoetry.org.
The next Bon Bon Sandwich Shop Poetry Open Mic will take place on Tuesday, February 9, from 8 to 10 PM. It's located at 2333 W. North Avenue, one block east of Western. This venue is looking to do more poetry shows and looking for poets who want to feature there, so stop on in and talk to Jenny or call 773-278-5800 and tell her CJ sent ya.
The Encyclopedia Show has found a new home at the Vittum Theatre, 1012 N Noble St.
 There is a lot going on in the Haiku arena. There will be a free Haiku Fest on Saturday, March 13, with special guest Angela Jackson (photo). Go to HaikuFest.com and bookmark it to check for updated information as things develop.
Also, The Midwest Chapter of the Haiku Society of America is planning a free program on Saturday, February 20, from 1:30 to 4:30 PM., at the Winnetka Public Library, 768 Oak St. There will be six presentations on a variety of haiku topics, plus readings and critique. The public is invited. The presentations are broad ones, dealing with the style and content of haiku, and will be of interest to both beginning and experienced haiku poets. There will also be time for participants to read a haiku they’ve written and get it critiqued. Among presenters are: John Han, Professor of English and Creative Writing / Chair of The Humanities Division at Missouri Baptist University, and haiku poet. He will speak on “What Is Haiku?” Other presentations include: “Season and Other Aesthetics / Poetics in Haiku,” by Heather Jagman; “The Silence Between Haiku Images,” By Joe Kirschner; a discussion led by a moderator on “What inspires Us to Write Haiku?; “What is Sumi Art and Haiga?” by artist and poet Lidia Rozmus; and “Haiku in Korea Today,” by Sung Kyu Kim. After the meeting, participants may attend an informal dinner at the Celtic Knot Public House in Evanston. To pre-register or for more information, contact Charlotte Digregorio, Midwest Regional Coordinator, Haiku Society of America, 847-881-2664.
"Jesus Peace: Night of Poetry IV" at the Tsuki Resturant and Lounge, 1441 W. Fullerton Ave, will happen on Saturday, February 27 from 8 to 10 PM. It's a benefit for Haiti and will feature K-LOVE, Dena Dean, Jason Williams, Authentic, Harold Green, Joseph Saunders, and more. To find out about this $20 event, call Natasha at 773-710-4783.
 The Smart Museum of Art at University of Chicago, 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue, will present an Open Mic. event called "The Dark Mirror" emceed by poets Matthias Regan (photo) and Eric Elshtain on Thursday, March 4, from 7 to 9 PM. The press release says: "Step up to the open mic and share a few poems, a short story, or a creative essay about your darker side." There will be free coffee, music, and a raffle.
There seems to be some confusion concerning the Revolving Door Reading Series, which will feature Allison Gruber, Donna Pecore, Luis Humberto Valadez and Sid Yiddish. Apparently it is going to take place on February 17 (not on January 27 as previously reported) from 7:30 to 9:30 PM, at Red Kiva, 1108 West Randolph St.
Gay and Gray: An anthology of Gay Writers and Artists 60 and over seeks submissions! NewTown Writers, Chicago's premier GLBT writing group, is pleased to announce a request for submissions to its newest publication, Gay and Gray! In an attempt to begin to collect what can only be a myriad of writing and wisdom from ‘the older gay writer/artist, NewTown Writers is seeking:creative non-fiction, short stories, fiction or memoir, poetry, digital imagery, and photography from the GLBTQ community 60 and older. Fiction and non-fiction submissions should be a maximum of 5,000 words. Each writer may submit three pieces for consideration. Reprints are acceptable as long as the author retains the copyright. Submissions should be sent as attachments to an email and NOT pasted into the body of the e-mail. Incorrect submissions will not be read. Multiple submissions are welcome and should be sent in separate e-mails. ALL submissions must be in 12-point Times New Roman, single-spaced, and sent as attachments. All authors must be willing to be edited. Authors should include their age (or there about) with submissions for reprint in the anthology as well as a photo when possible. The photo may be taken from any point in the author’s life. Also please include a brief biography. While there is no specific theme, content may focus on aging in the gay community, historical hindsight and/or perspective unique to the GBLTQ person 60 and older. E-mail submissions for GAY AND GRAY should be sent to: submit2gayNgray@aol.com by June, 2010. All writers will be notified of the editor’s selections. Each writer published in the 'Gay and Gray' anthology will receive three copies of the volume gratis.
Finally, the Life Celebration for Effie Mihopoulos is scheduled for Friday, March 5 from 5 to 7 PM in Alumni Hall at Northeastern. A concert to benefit Haiti will follow, hosted by WZRD, the radio station that Effie worked tirelessly for, for many years. And then, on Saturday, March 6, from 1 to 3 PM, there will be a poetry memorial for Effie at the Newberry Library. Poets, please bring something to read in her honor! Contact honoring1effie@gmail.com for more information.
Remember you got the scoop from,
CJ Laity's ChicagoPoetry.com
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Effie Mihopoulos Passes Away: Two Memorials Planned
Posted by : cj on Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 10:47 PM
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Effie's Memorial planned! Friday, March 5, 2010, 5-7pm at Northeastern Illinois University in Alumni Hall. Saturday, March 6, 2010, 1-3pm at the Newberry Library, where poets are welcome to bring something special to read in her honor. More details to come.
 What can be said about Effie Mihopoulos? I am really at a loss for words. Carlos Cumpian has called her a "pioneer." Other poets have called her a legend. Many poets have called her a mentor and a friend. Recently, Effie became ill. In December, her longtime friend Rhonda Farrins brought her to Swedish Covenant Hospital, where Effie was found to have breast cancer. In January, Effie was transferred to a Hospice at Weiss Memorial, where she passed away on January 14, 2010. Before she died, she was visited by dozens of her friends, who sat by her side and told her how important she was to them. Effie Mihopoulos graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a Master's Degree in English in 1974. Her imprint "Ommation Press" published many Chicago poets over the years. Her book of poetry "The Moon Cycle" was produced as a play and Effie worked as a interviewer on WZRD for many years. She was also the Theater Coordinator for the Bucktown Arts Fest and the Performance Art reviewer for Examiner.com. Yet mentioning these few things is like throwing a pebble into the ocean. Seriously. No amount of words can express how instrumental Effie Mihopoulos has been to the Chicago Poetry Scene. She has been active in Chicago's performance arts and poetry scene for decades and it would take volumes to list all of her accomplishments. She will truly be missed.
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Tuesday Poetry Open Mic. and Readings at The Cafe
Posted by : cj on Monday, January 11, 2010 - 02:44 PM
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 The weekly Tuesday evening poetry readings at The Cafe, 5115 N. Lincoln Ave, continue in 2010 with new host Janet Kuypers. The Cafe poetry open mic. has had a long history in Chicago. It was launched in 1996 by David Rubin at a place called Cafe Aloha, at Montrose and Lincoln. In 2003, Rubin had to move from Chicago, and Charlie Newman took over the open mic. at its present location at 5115 N. Lincoln Ave. Newman eventually felt he needed time to concentrate on his own work, so he invited Janet Kuypers to take over the show at the beginning of 2010. The events start at 8:30 PM and there is always an open mic. and sometimes a "poetry wheel." There is a $2 cover and a hat is passed for the features as well..
Upcoming features include: Jan 12, Vito Carli; Jan 19, John Goode; Jan 26 Abe Vucekovich; Feb 2, Luis Valadez; Feb 9, Kate Cullan; Feb 16, Al DeGenova; Feb 23, Larry Janowski; March 2, Thomas Curry; March 9, Dan Cleary, March 16, Jenene Ravesloot; March 23, Tom Roby; March 30, Sid Yiddish; April 6, Oren Wagner (w/ Steve Henn); April 13, Buddha; April 20, Maureen Flannery; April 27, Wendy Barker; May 4, Gregorio Gomez; May 11, Rob Lawrence; May 18, Charlie Newman; May 25, CJ Laity; June 1, Cathleen Schandelmeier; June 8, David Breeden; June 15, Wayne Allen Jones; June 22, Janet Kuypers; June 29, Kristy Bowen; July 6, Lucia Blinn; July 13, Nicole A.M. Collins; July 20, Esteban Colon; July 27, Gregg Shapiro.
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Chicago Poetry News Report
Posted by : cj on Saturday, January 09, 2010 - 03:22 PM
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Hello poets. I have lots-a cool poetry news to report today.
 The big developing story for 2010 is that poetry will be coming to the Brookfield Zoo. The Language of Conservation will include 35 pieces of poetry—full length, stanzas, and one liners—carved in stone, etched in glass, and placed on plaques throughout Great Bear Wilderness, a new exhibit set to open in the spring. As part of the Language of Conservation, there will be various readings by top name poets throughout the year. The overall point of the project is to use poetry to inspire conservation and empathy for nature. There will be an opening reception in late May. The project is funded through Poets House of New York and a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The plan is to "permanently infuse poetry with the zoo, showing our guests that poetry is an accessible art form and encouraging poets to think of Brookfield Zoo as a venue and support network." Keep your eye on ChicagoPoetry.com for more exclusive scoops on this exciting development.
I attended the First Friday (on the Second Friday) Poetry Show last night at St. Paul's Cultural Center. What a cool venue and what an eclectic mixture of writing styles! Luis Valadez is the Black Sabbath of Chicago Poetry. Billy Tuggle wowed us with his poem inspired by Shannon Leigh, a young poet who died after a scuba diving accident. Sid Yiddish once again had us laughing and thinking at the same time. And Jenene Ravesloot filled our mind's eyes with her haunting imagery. The word at the show was that Waiting 4 The Bus Collective is moving their Monday evening shows from its longtime home at Jak's Tap to the Cafe Ballou. Hmm. Rhyme Schemes. Two With Water. My shows. And now W4TB? Looks like Cafe Ballou is turning into one of the grooviest poetry venues in town. I just may have to shuffle my shows around so that they don't overlap with the St. Paul's events.
Hey poetry hosts! Do you want to feature Martin Espada between September 23 and 26? Contact Ruth Goring at ruthgoring@gmail.com
Cracked Slab Books is pleased to announce the publication of two new books! Course of Action by Jukka-Pekka Kervinen and Morphs by Grant Jenkins and Cheryl Pallant.
On Friday, February 12, Linz and Vail Espresso and Gelateria, 922 Noyes Street, Evanston, will present Spoken Word to Abolish Slavery from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Give a $5 suggested donation to Abolish Slavery Coalition and enjoy live music, raffles and free coffee. Check out PocketChangeForGlobalChange.com.
 The Poetry Foundation is using some of their big bucks to put on some big upcoming events. Among many other scheduled programs, here are some of the highlights. Thursday, February 4, at 6 PM, Rae Armantrout at Film Row Cinema, Columbia College, 1104 South Wabash Avenue, 8th Floor, free. Friday, March 26, at 6 PM, David Baker at Open Books, 213 West Institute Place, free. "Few poets writing today are so closely identified with a place as is David Baker, who makes his particular locale—the Midwest—into a mirror for the human experience on a universal level." Thursday, April 1, 6 PM, Derek Walcott at Fullerton Hall, Art Institute of Chicago, 111 South Michigan Ave, free. Derek Walcott won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. Tuesday, April 13, 6 PM, Indigo Moor and Cave Canem Fellows at Jazz Showcase, 806 South Plymouth Court, Dearborn Station, free. And on Saturday, April 24, at noon, the Poetry Foundation will bring Cornelius Eady (photo) to the annual Chicago Public Library Poetry Month Festival. Eady will read in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium, Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State St. The fest is free.
Northwestern University will present its Tuesday afternoon Winter Quarter Evening Reading Series, featuring Creative Writing faculty and senior English Majors in Writing. The readings take place at 5 PM in University Hall 201 and include the following line-up: Rachel Webster, Angela Mears, Logan Wall, Rose Truesdale on January 19; Brian Bouldrey, Annie Kahane, Jacob Nelson, Alberto Roldan, Veronica Roth on January 28; Averill Curdy, Elizabeth Green, Lani Seelinger, Stephen Rosenthal on February 2; Reginald Gibbons, Katie Halpern, Nicole Roth on February 9; John Bresland, Joanna Beer, Jocelyn Huang, Caryn Wille on February 16; Shauna Seliy, Andres Carrasquillo, Jack Neubauer on February 25; Sheila Donohue, Rachel Koontz, Evan Rausch, Noel Slesinger on March 2; Eula Biss, Christopher Adamson, Katherine Docimo, Maria Provanzano, Madeline Weinstein on March 9; and John Keene, Meriwether Clarke, Allison Keller, Aaron Kuper on March 16.
Hey! How 'bout some news about another workshop? Have you heard of Vox Ferus? Vox Ferus After Dark is a dynamic writing workshop designed to build a community of writers and performers interested in improving their own craft by investing in and exploring the work of others as well as their own. Each workshop includes analysis, critique, and development of new writing. All are welcome, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. Workshops take place in various locations on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month, and are facilitated by Marty McConnell and occasional guest poets. Donations are requested, on a pay-what-you-will basis. To RSVP or for more information, please email voxferus@gmail.com
 Ladies and gentlemen! Highland Park Poetry has selected the winning poems from their first ever Poetry That Moves Contest. PACE will display the poems on their Highland Park and North Shore Line buses throughout 2010. The contest was sponsored by First Bank of Highland Park. The judges for the contest were Fred Gordon, Charles Schwartz and Judith Tepfer. The poetry will include graphic design from Highland Park High School. And (drumroll please) the winners are: Charlotte Digregorio, Valerie Wallace, Mary Krane Derr, Carol L. Gloor, Dana Schwartz, Ellen Savage, Anneyorie Leyye, Robert Klein Engler (photo), Ruth Goring, Susanna Lang, Stella Radulescu and Joe Stewart.
Starting January 1, Curbstone Press, the 34-year-old Connecticut-based small press with a 150-title backlist of literature from underrepresented communities, will (drum roll please) relocate to Chicagoland, to be acquisitioned as an imprint of Northwestern University Press. Curbstone will become a university press located in Evanston and its offices in Connecticut will close.
I also have wonderful news to report. Ron Offen, publisher of Free Lunch, who was hospitalized after suffering a seizure, is doing much better. Mr. Offen sent ChicagoPoetry a letter in which he says, "As you know I am having problems with hearing and speaking and writing language, but it is improving. As I think Shakespeare said, 'Sorrows bring sparrows in battalions.' But Dickenson also wrote (as I remember): 'That hope is a thing with feathers.'" Mr. Offen also wants to let everyone who is thinking of buying a copy of the final issue of Free Lunch know that there are only thirty copies left, so you better get them fast. Ordering information is posted here.
 Illinois' Secretary of State has named seven writers as the Hispanic Authors of the Year, including Lisa Alvarado, Frank González-Crussí, Cristina Henríquez, Luis Alberto Urrea, Wilfredo Cruz, Cristina Benitez and Robert Renteria.
 It's good to see that the Future Perfect series will continue in 2010 at Katerina's, 1920 W. Irving Park. The events always happen on the first Thursday of the month from 7:30 to 10:30 PM, feature multi-media performance art including music from the spoken word band St. Cloud, are recorded for Chicago Amplified and I believe there is a $7 cover. On January 7 the special guests will be poets from the publication Where We Find Ourselves: Jewish Women Around the World Write About Home, including Miriam Ben-Yoseph, Deborah Nodler Rosen, Dina Elenbogen, Lisa Comforty, Helen Degen Cohen and Sara Schwarzbaum. On February 4 the special guests will be the editors of RHINO, with Virginia Bell, Sarah Carson, Helen Degen Cohen, Carol Eding, Adam Lizakowski, Deborah Rosen and Marcia Zuckerman. On March 4 the special guests will be Simone Muench and Parneshia Jones. And on April 1 the "poetry month" special guests will be Roger Bonair-Agard, Ibtisam Barakat, Stella Vinitchi Radulescu and Rachel Jamison Webster.
There will be an Artifice Issue #1 Release Party on Saturday, February 27, starting at 7 PM at Loft 3A, 3036 N. Lincoln Ave. For $10 it promises readings and all you can drink beer.
Hey poets, have you seen this review of the late Mark Perlberg's book Waiting for the Alchemist?
 I was at Ellen Wadey's Bon Voyage bash at California Clipper and who did I run into? Mark Turcotte. Mark is a real old school Native American poet who graced the Chicago Poetry Scene with his presence for about five years in the nineties. He was the first winner of the Gwendolyn Brooks' Open Mic Award and he's been published in all sorts of respected journals, including TriQuarterly, Poetry Magazne, Prairie Schooner, Ploughshares, The Missouri Review, The Seattle Review, Hunger Mountain, North Dakota Quarterly, and The Laurel Review. Word is Mark has officially returned to Chicago and is Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at DePaul University. Far freakin' out! Welcome back, Mark.
Here's a little note that I received from the 26 year old Rambunctious Review: "Hi CJ. We have decided to enter the 21st Century! We now have a website. Could you remind people about our contests (deadline Jan 31st)? We are especially seeking Chicago writers, and your site is the best way to find them! Details are on our website. Thanks for your contribution to the Chicago poetry scene." So what are you waiting for? Check out RambunctiousReview.org.
Hey poets, have you checked out PoetrySpeaks.com yet? It's totally awesome, sort of the YouTube of the poetry world.
 Did you know that Young Chicago Authors recently won The Coming Up Taller Award? Coming Up Taller is a national initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding out-of-school and after-school arts and humanities programs for children, especially those with great potential, but limited outlets for creative expression. A project of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Coming Up Taller Awards honor programs that offer exceptional learning experiences in the arts and the humanities and that have a tangible effect on the lives of young people as evidenced through improved academic scores, enhanced life skills, and positive relationships with peers and adults. YCA founder, Bob Boone, personally received the award from Michelle Obama at the White House.
Click here for The BIG Read
The staff of Northwestern University Press recently toasted one of its now famous authors-in-translation upon hearing that Romania-born German writer Herta Mueller was named winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1998, Northwestern University Press published the paperback edition of Mueller's novel "The Land of Green Plums" and the original hardcover translation of her novel "Travelling on One Leg." The academic press is not a stranger to Nobel Award-related celebrations. In 2002, writer Imre Kertesz won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Northwestern University Press was the sole publisher of the Hungarian writer's works. "That authors associated with Northwestern University Press continue to win such prestigious awards affirms our ongoing commitment to finding the best literature from around the world," said Sarah Pritchard, Northwestern's Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian. For information about Northwestern University Press, visit its website.
Oh, before I go, have you checked out Contemporary Horizons yet? Click on it if you are bi-curious (lingual that is).
Before you go, check out RHINOFEST.
Admit it. You don't get poetry news like this from any other source.
Signing out.
CJ Laity
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February 14: Charles Berstein at U of C Renaissance Society
Posted by : cj on Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 12:45 PM
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408 Reads
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 On Sunday, February 14, 2010, at 2 PM at The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, 5811 South Ellis Avenue, Cobb Hall, 4th floor, highly esteemed poet, professor, and literary scholar Charles Bernstein will do a reading dedicated to his daughter Emma. The reading coincides with the release of All the Whiskey in Heaven, a “best of” Bernstein’s work from the past thirty years. Bernstein explores how language both limits and liberates thought, modulating the comic and the dark structural invention with buoyant soundplay. These challenging works give way to poems of lyric excess and striking emotional range. In addition, the reading will celebrate the recent release of Radical Poetics and Secular Jewish Culture, a collection of essays in which poets and critics, Bernstein among them, address the question of what constitutes radical poetry written by Jews defined as 'secular', and whether or not there is a Jewish component or dimension to radical and modernist poetic practice in general. Their responses reflect a rich sense of how being Jewish influences their aesthetics and practices, and how the tradition of the avant-garde informs their identities as Jews. The reading will be followed by a discussion and reception. (Photo from beineckepoetry.wordpress.com.)
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