Poetry @ The Green at 320 continues for the summer season this August!
The Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal are proud to host this free, weekly reading and open mic series co-curated by CPC’s Poets in Residence Joy Young and Timothy David Rey.
Join us on certain Monday nights at 6 p.m. in this beautiful setting to hear outstanding featured poets perform their work in this partnership between Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal (aka The Green at 320). After every poetry performance, there will be an open mic for any individual that would like to share poetry of their own!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! We’ll be at The Green every Monday through the end of September, except for August 19. Check the details for this event and others in our City-wide Literary Events Calendar!
CPC believes poetry should be enjoyed by all. If you’d like to request an ASL interpreter at Poetry @ the Green, please email timothy@poetrycenter.org two weeks before the event date.
AUGUST FEATURED PERFORMERS:
August 5th: Patricia “Patty” McMillen: A student of Barry Silesky, Luis Alberto Urrea and the late Maureen Seaton, Patricia “Patty” McMillen is a retired lawyer, folk musician and community activist. Born and raised in Illinois, she briefly practiced commercial law with Chicago-based firm Mayer Brown, but threw that over in 1992 for the practices of farm management, old-time (clawhammer) banjo, and freelance public advocacy. McMillen is a graduate of the UIC Program for Writers (MA 2005). Her first full-length poetry collection, Running Wild, was published in 2024 by Finishing Line Press; her poetry chapbook Knife Lake Anthology (Pudding House Press, Cincinnati OH 2006), treating the social ramifications of capital punishment, is out of print. McMillen gratefully acknowledges the support of an Illinois Arts Council fellowship (2006) and residencies at Ragdale Foundation (IL) and Mary Anderson Center for the Arts (IN).
August 12th: Andrea Change: Andrea is poet, writer and the current executive director of the Guild Literary Complex. She has been a part of the Chicago poetry community for over 20 years. Her work has been published in a number of poetry magazines, journals and included in such poetry anthologies from Tia Chucha Press as Powerlines and Stray Bullets. Her poetry was also included in the 2001 Steppenwolf Theatre production, Words on Fire. A hometown girl, born and raised in Chicago, much of her poetry is inspired by her experiences growing up in the city. In addition to her work with the Guild, she continues her other work in the literary arts community as a moderator and grants/programming consultant. She is mother to one son, Phillip and two dogs, Francesca and Missy. Still an active member of the poetry and arts community, she currently resides in the Chicago neighborhood of Rogers Park.
August 19th: No show due to the Democratic National Convention happening in the area
August 26th: Tara Betts & Fullamusu Bangura
Tara Betts: Tara Betts is the author of Refuse to Disappear, Break the Habit, Arc & Hue. Betts teaches at DePaul University’s Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Program. Betts coedited The Beiging of America: Being Mixed Race in the 21st Century, a new edition of Philippa Duke Schuyler’s Adventures in Black & White, and Carving Out Rights From Inside the Prison Industrial Complex. In addition to representing Chicago twice at the National Poetry Slam and winning the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, Tara appeared on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and Jessica Care Moore’s “SPOKEN.” Her poems, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies.
Fullamusu Bangura: Musu Bangura is a writer originally from Washington, D.C. and currently residing in Chicago, Illinois. They are the author of the essay-book …Considers Lil’ Kim’s Hard Core. Their work has been published in New Delta Review, Apogee Journal, Southeast Review, and more. In 2020, they were selected as a 2020 Best of the Net Poetry finalist. Musu is a teaching artist at the Chicago Poetry Center, and has served as a judge for two years at Poetry Out Loud’s City and Metro Regionals. Musu can be found gazing at Lake Michigan or under a weighted blanket.
ABOUT THE CURATORS:
Joy Young is a Chicago-based poet and educator, who holds a BA in Fiction from Columbia College Chicago and MA in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. Her work has appeared in the literary journals Poetry East and Lunch Ticket, as well as an collaborative art therapy project at the InnerSpace Studio of Homan Square and LOCUS: VIII Gallery Showcase at The Martin. When she’s not teaching, you can usually find her at open mics and performance arts venues.
Timothy David Rey is a writer/performer who works in poetry, plays, and monologue (both fictional and autobiographical). He teaches creative writing and performance throughout the city of Chicago and its suburbs. He is a 2015 Semi-Finalist for the Guild Literary Complex’s Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Poetry Award, and one of the winners of Project Exploration (The Poetry Center of Chicago 2004). He is the co-founder of the LBGT Solo Performance Showcase, Solo Homo (2002-2011). Timothy’s plays and performance pieces have been seen and heard at venues throughout Chicago as well as out of state and in Panama. Timothy’s writing has appeared in magazines and journals including ’60 Inches From Center,’ and ‘After Hours: The Chicago Journal of Writing & Art.’ ‘His book of poetry and performance, Little Victories, was published in 2012 by NewTown Writers Press. Timothy has performed at Steppenwolf Theater (Lookout Series), New York City’s International Fringe Festival as well as The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts.
ABOUT THE LOCATION:
The Green is a public park located in the West Loop and will be host to many family-friendly activities and events this summer!
