Programs Spotlight: Fall Brings New and Returning Programs

BY Poetry Center
/ 29 Sep 2022

September Special Events Recap

Between public events and program launches, it’s been a busy month for the Chicago Poetry Center. We’ve had the wonderful opportunity to host two events throughout the city—a reading at Printers Row Lit Fest and a reading & ekphrastic poetry workshop session in collaboration with the Chinese American Museum of Chicago.

Our reading at the Printers Row Lit Fest featured six local poets and was a blast! We loved seeing old friends and making new ones at our table.

CPC’s featured reading at the Printers Row Lit Fest brought poets and community members together on a warm, sunny Saturday. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

In Chinatown, our collaborative event with the Chinese American Museum of Chicago welcomed participants of all ages. Poet in Residence Lisa Low led an ekphrastic poetry workshop based on “Moon Drawings,” a series of videos by the artist Yuge Zhou. The writing exercise inspired drawings by children and several poems by courageous first-time poetry writers.

Poet in Residence Lisa Low facilitated a workshop that inspired poems and drawings from participants of all ages. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

Return of Blue Hour!

After a year of virtual events, we finally kicked off a new season of the Blue Hour with an in-person reading and generative writing workshop! The audience at Haymarket House gave a warm welcome to featured poets and recent Chicago transplants Faylita Hicks and Hila Ratzabi.

Join us at next month’s Blue Hour with poets Willie X. Lin and Dipika Mukherjee in an event co-sponsored by Kundiman. Learn more about October’s installment of the reading and workshop series, and preview the 2022-23 event schedule on our Blue Hour webpage.

Faylita Hicks opened the reading session of Blue Hour. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

Hila Ratzabi followed Hicks with her own collection of poems. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

Faylita Hicks and Hila Ratzabi thrilled the audience with their poems at the first Blue Hour of the season. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

Meet Our Poets in Residence!

New and returning Poets in Residence gathered together to prepare for the school year. Photo provided courtesy of the Chicago Poetry Center.

At Haymarket House, we welcomed seven new Poets in Residence to our team of teaching artists. Our annual residency training ended with a social hour in the yard, where new and returning Poets in Residence, CPC Board members, and staff gathered over lunch to celebrate a new school year.

This year, we’re excited to have Philip Berezney, Rachel Castro, Ola Faleti, Luz Magdaleno Flores, Lisa Low, C. Russell Price, and Christie Valentin-Bati join CPC to engage students across the city with poetry lessons. Learn more about our Poets in Residence here.

Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures is Live!

On-demand video poetry lessons are available to all!

After months of writing, filming, and post-production, the Chicago Poetry Center is proud to announce the launch of a new education program: Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures.

Inspired by classic children’s television, Queen Zee’s Poetic Adventures takes viewers to a magical world of joyful, engaging poetry lessons for kids. Created for students in 2nd-5th grades, this five-episode series is ELA and SEL-focused, aligned with Common Core standards, and, best of all, fun!

This free, no-prep resource includes downloadable teacher guides and student workbooks. It’s available to all educators to stream on demand. For immediate access to episodes or to learn more, visit the Queen Zee webpage.

Arts Education Programming Made Possible with Support by our Partners:

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“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

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-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.

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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET