Blue Hour May 21

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. Our May featured readers are Nadia Alexis and Keith S. Wilson.

The Blue Hour reading includes a brief open mic followed by two featured poets from Chicago and beyond. The open mic includes five readers drawn lottery-style from a hat that goes out at 7:15. The reading starts promptly at 7:30. Each open mic poet reads one poem or for three minutes, whichever comes first.

EVENT DETAILS FOR MAY 21:

  • Workshop (registration required) begins promptly at 6 p.m., ends at 7 p.m.
  • Open mic sign-up begins at 7:15.
  • Reading (registration recommended but not required) begins at 7:30, followed by community gathering time.
  • Reading registration is free; the workshop is sliding scale with a suggested donation of $10.
  • Register for the workshop here.
  • Get your ticket for the reading here.
  • Livestream is available here.

ABOUT THE READING: 

The Blue Hour reading features readings by two poets from Chicago and beyond, preceded by a five person lottery-style open mic and followed by community gathering time. 

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: 

The Blue Hour generative writing workshop is suitable for writers and poetry fans of all levels. We will discuss a poem together, then Marty will guide the group through individual writing on an exploratory prompt that draws on themes from the poem. 

ABOUT THE SPACE:

Accessibility, Health, & Safety:

– All restrooms at Haymarket House are gender-neutral, including single-user and stalled restrooms.

– Each event includes ASL interpretation. Haymarket House is ADA compliant and fully wheelchair-accessible; email curator@poetrycenter.org to ensure ramp access and with any other accessibility needs.

– Masks are currently strongly encouraged for all indoor events, and the space is equipped with a professional air filtration system.

MAY FEATURES: 

Keith S. Wilson is a game designer, an Affrilachian Poet, and a Cave Canem fellow. He is a recipient of an NEA Fellowship, an Elizabeth George Foundation Grant, and an Illinois Arts Council Agency Award, and has received both a Kenyon Review Fellowship and a Stegner Fellowship. Additionally, he has received fellowships or grants from Bread Loaf, Tin House, the MacDowell Colony, Vermont Studio Center, UCross, the Millay Colony, and James Merrill House, among others. Keith was a Gregory Djanikian Scholar, and his poetry has won the Rumi Prize and been anthologized in Best New Poets and Best of the Net. His book, Fieldnotes on Ordinary Love (Copper Canyon), was recognized by the New York Times as a best new book of poetry.

Nadia Alexis is a poet, writer, and photographer from Harlem. She is the author of “Beyond the Watershed” (CavanKerry Press), a hybrid poetry and photography collection and finalist for the Ghost Peach Press Prize. Born to Haitian immigrants in Harlem, her work has been published widely and exhibited in the U.S. and Cuba. A Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Artist Fellowship recipient, 92Y Discovery Poetry Contest semifinalist, Haitian Creatives Digital Awards Poet of the Year Honoree, and fellow of the Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop and The Watering Hole, she holds an MFA and PhD from the University of Mississippi.

ABOUT THE HOST: 

Marty McConnell is a poet, educator, and healer based in Chicago. She is the author of when they say you can’t go home again, what they mean is you were never there, winner of the 2017 Michael Waters Poetry Prize; her first full-length collection, wine for a shotgun, received the Silver Medal in the Independent Publishers Awards and was a finalist for both the Audre Lorde Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Her first nonfiction book, Gathering Voices: Creating a Community-Based Poetry Workshop, is available through YesYes Books. She is the co-creator and co-editor of underbelly, a web site focused on the art and magic of poetry revision. An MFA graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies including Best American Poetry, Southern Humanities Review, Gulf Coast, and Indiana Review

To learn more about the series and history, go here. 

RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS

TESTIMONIALS

“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.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

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