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2024 POL Champion – Yohanna Interview

For nearly ten years, the Chicago Poetry Center has partnered with the Illinois Arts Council as the Chicagoland Regional host for Poetry Out Loud (POL). Two-time Illinois POL champion, Yohanna Endashaw, won the Suburban Schools Regionals in […]

How to Apply to Writing Residencies: Presented by Keith S. Wilson

Looking for a way to devote time and energy to your poetry without the distractions of your busy life? Apply to a writing residency! Join the Chicago Poetry Center as poet Keith S. Wilson […]

Join us in celebrating 20 years of Poetry Out Loud in 2025!

The Chicago Poetry Center is pleased to serve in its 8th year as the Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national Poetry Out Loud Teen Competition. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project in partnership with […]

After Nikki Giovanni

In the wake of Nikki Giovanni’s death, our last 2024 session at Lawndale honored her work. After a spirited game of This/That, we focused on how the five senses appear in her poem, “Knoxville, […]

“No me digan que cambie”

This past week at Lawndale the 6th grade continued to explore the world of odes and similes. They wrote in appreciation of everything from erasers to themselves, with similes as dynamic as they are. […]

The World Is A Home Run

For our 3rd session with Waters 6th graders, we dove into the wonderful world of metaphors. They’re all around us, like in the Katy Perry song “Firework” (which we listened to and watched the […]

Bigger Table: Write & Give Back Series (Virtual Workshop)

The Chicago Poetry Center Board invites you to join us at Bigger Table: Write & Give Back – a thematic writing fundraiser series to support poetry programming at Chicago Public Schools. Theme: The theme for the workshop on Dec […]

Blue Hour January 15

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our January featured readers are Christian J. Collier and Maya Marshall. […]

“She smells like oatmeal”

This week at Lawndale we talked odes and similes. While 6th grade was sabotaged by a broken down bus, they still enjoyed exploring Pablo Neruda’s “Oda a los Calcetines”/”Ode to My Socks.” I can’t […]

50 for 50: Help Us Create 50 New Residencies With Your Donation!

Let’s make it 50 for 50! With Your Support We Can Fund 50 Residences Next Year As we head towards the end of the calendar year and launch our annual campaign, the Chicago Poetry […]

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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