the chicago poetry calendar

W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Karin Zink

2012-02-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 7:30(SIGN UP)-10PM
CAFE BALLOU
939 N WESTERN AVE
UKRANIAN VILLAGE

Come on out to the Bus Stop and bring your poems
Waiting 4 The Bus presents an amazing night of Poetry
sign up is at 7:30 so please don't be late.

Our suggested theme for the evening is Lessons from Friends and Strangers.
and our feature is the Super Cool Karin Zink

02/29/12 Sid Yiddish poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

2012-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

February 29, 7:00 - 9:00PM

The Cafe Gallery open mic
at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western & Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)

Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mike is now the Café Gallery, now at Gallery Cabaret!

Only on leap year do we get 29 days in February... and we are lucky enough to have our poetry and performance art open mike churning out great material on the 29th of February this year!!!

See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on every other Wednesday from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Come February 29th for the Sid Yiddish feature following the open mike! He has not been around in he latter days of the Cafe, so it will be GREAT to see his show on this special day, that only comes around every 4 years!!! Sign up & read at the open mike before the great feature!

You can also sign up for a later feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow... For info about the open mike and the 2012 schedule (and getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv (or janetkuypers@gmail.com - only if the scars.tv email has problems) with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

02/15/12 Jason Covelli poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

2012-01-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

February 15, 7:00 - 9:00PM

The Cafe Gallery open mic
at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western & Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)

Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mike is now the Café Gallery, now at Gallery Cabaret! See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on every other Wednesday from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Come February 15th for the Jason Covelli feature following the open mike! This eclectic man is coming in from Kenosha Wisconsin, so everyone should come out to this artist-friendly space to wish him a warm welcome in Chicago!!! Sign up & read at the open mike before the great feature!

You can also sign up for a later feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow... For info about the open mike and the 2012 schedule (and getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv (or janetkuypers@gmail.com - only if the scars.tv email has problems) with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

02/01/12 Vittorio Carli poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

2012-01-30T08:05:00.000-08:00

February 1, 7:00 - 9:00PM

The Cafe Gallery open mic
at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western & Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)

Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mike is now the Café Gallery, now at Gallery Cabaret! See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on every other Wednesday from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Come February 1st for the Vittorio Carli feature following the open mike! Sign up & read at the open mike before the great feature!

You can also sign up for a later feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow... For info about the open mike and the 2012 schedule (and getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv (or janetkuypers@gmail.com - only if the scars.tv email has problems) with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

Jan 29: The Human Micropoem @ the Art Inst

2012-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

You are invited to participate in
THE HUMAN MICROPOEM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 @ 1pm
in front of the Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue

Part of Occupy Chicago
http://occupychi.org

Bring one poem 5 minutes in length to be read aloud
or just come & be part of the chorus -- all welcome!

The Human Micropoem is a call and response choral form utilizing the human microphone at the occupy movements to amplify the speaker's words by those listening. The speaker says a line and then everyone who can hear repeats it.

For more info email:
redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

2012-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

What Comes After 20
At WOMAN MADE GALLERY
685 N Milwaukee Ave
Sunday, January 29, 2011 / 1:30-3:30 p.m.

In 2012, Woman Made Gallery celebrates its 20th anniversary. For a grass roots arts organization in these times, 20 years is an accomplishment reflecting the organization’s sturdiness, maturity and standing in the community. We begin our 21st year by celebrating poets in the 20s, a life stage in which the artist/poet is coming into her own, learning from the examples of those who came before, experimenting, finding and discovering her own voice. This program includes promising voices from both academic and performance arenas: Carina Finn, Meghan Forajter, Hannah Gamble, Shelley Elaine Geiszler, Sara Jedd, Ji-Yoon Lee, Stephanie Lane Sutton, Teresa Veramendi, Ryann Wahl.

AWP Off-Site Event: Penguin Poets, Spoon River Poetry Review, and Seven Corners

2012-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

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Writing the Unexpected

2012-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

Writing the Unexpected: Poetry Workshop at the Newberry Library

6-week workshop beginning February 25, 2012

60 West Walton Street, Chicago

The Newberry Library’s resources will be a source for inspiration, information, conversation, and playfulness in this generative workshop. We will use visual art, historical texts, and ephemera to listen, experiment with form, and create new work. Along the way we will attend to the craft of poetry, learning tricks and tips from published pieces. Our goal will be to establish a positive environment for critical feedback and community. Expect to leave the workshop with seven to ten new poems.

Valerie Wallace holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has taught workshops throughout Chicago. She is an editor with RHINO Poetry and the author of The Dictators’ Guide to Good Housekeeping.

Six sessions, $170. For more information, go to: http://www.newberry.org/02252012-writing-unexpected-poetry-workshop

Jan 16:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Dan Cleary

2012-01-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop
Featuring-Dan Cleary
Café Ballou
939 N. Western Ave
7:30(sign up)-10pm
Suggested theme-The Agony and The Ecstasy

Feb. 3 Top Shelf poets presents:

2012-01-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

Best New Poets at the Book Cellar

2012-01-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Best New Poets has announced its winners for 2011, and five contributors will be celebrating at the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square on Saturday, January 21 at 7:00 pm with a reading and release of the newest anthology. The line up includes:

BRITTANY CAVALLARO's poems have recently appeared or are forthcoming in Gettysburg Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Indiana Review and elsewhere. She received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was the editor-in-chief of Devil's Lake. She has been a finalist for the Ruth Lilly Fellowship and the recipient of awards such as the David and Jean Milofsky Prize in Creative Writing, scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the Chancellor's Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she is a PhD candidate.

NATALIE GIARRATANO is a PhD candidate in poetry at Western Michigan University. Recent poems appear or are forthcoming in American Literary Review, Laurel Review, and Hayden’s Ferry Review. She was poetry editor for Third Coast for two years and an assistant editor at New Issues Poetry and Prose for three.

VIRGINIA KONCHAN’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Boston Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, The Believer, The New Republic, Notre Dame Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Poet Lore, and elsewhere. She is a doctoral candidate in the Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she curates the Wit Rabbit Reading Series.

NANCY REDDY’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Anti-, Cream City Review, Memorious, Cimarron Review, Crab Orchard Review, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is currently a doctoral student in composition and rhetoric. She is also the reviews and interviews editor of Devil’s Lake.

DAVID WELCH received his M.F.A. from The University of Alabama and has published poems in journals including AGNI, Indiana Review, and Subtropics. His poem “Tribute” appeared in Best New Poets 2007. He teaches creative writing and literature and is Coordinator of Literacy Outreach at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

01/18 open mike at the newly-relocated "the Cafe Gallery" at Gallery Cabaret!

2012-01-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

January 18, 7:00 - 9:00PM

The Cafe Gallery open mic
at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western & Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)

Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mike is now the Café Gallery, now relocated to Gallery Cabaret! See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on the 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Starting January 18th! Read, & sign up for a feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow (though Bob might not be able to attend the inaugural open mike in 2012).

For info about the open mike and the 2012 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv or janetkuypers@gmail.com with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

During the open mike, Gallery Cabaret, with their cool in-house video system, had a live video feed of the open mike and feature on a TV at the front, so people at the bar can see the performance as well... But we video recorded the entire live performance, so people around the country (and around the world) could see the podcasts or the youtube video of the performance!

the Café Gallery had a GREAT poetry open mike night, with a TON of great poets coming together to read at this new location in 2012!

Friday Jan 6th:First Friday:Top Shelf Poets

2011-12-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

7:30-10pm
Studio A
2941 W. Belmont
Now in a new venue
W4tB Presents:
First Friday:Top Shelf Poets
Live from Studio A
The Greatest Show On Earth That Exercises Hyperbole
featuring
Charlie Newman
Kurt Heintz
Scott DeKatch
Kristy Bowen
Todd Heldt

Monday Jan 2:W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop

2011-12-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop
Featuring-Sandra Santiago
Café Ballou
939 N. Western Ave
7:30(sign up)-10pm
Suggested theme-Love, Art, and Other Drugs

Dec 16: Requited Sound & Language Performance

2011-12-14T22:57:00.000-08:00

REQUITED issue #6 release
Sound & Language Performance

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th
8-11pm

READERS:
Dan Godston
Tim Jones-Yelvington
Jennifer Karmin

PERFORMERS:
Edward Breitweiser
Reed Esslinger
Ángel Faraldo
Katrina Schaag
Peter J Woods

at ENEMY
1550 N. Milwaukee Ave, 3rd floor
suggested donation $7

REQUITED issue #6 is almost here--just one more month. We will be hosting a series of multi-media and performative works attentive to language as sound curated by guest editor Ryan T Dunn.

Sound & Language Performance:
Consider the psychological and phenomenological aspects of the reception and manifestation of sound as a linguistic act, as a revisitable document, as an intangible moment on breath and a long distance transmittable gesture. Ponder the history of the textual document and its relationship with the relatively young sonic document. Encompass methods of transmission and reception, the notable and the mundane, the intentional and unintentional, public and private, seen and heard.

2011-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

December 18, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, December 18th, the Cafe has poetry in the LAST POETRY OPEN MIKE EVER AT THE CAFE!

Join me at the Cafe (5115 North Lincoln Ave.) Sunday afternoon (12/11/11 open mic starts ~ 3:00 - 3:30 PM) for great poetry in the FINAL GET-TOGETHER FOR POETRY READINGS AT THE CAFE!!!

I am going to try to see if I can get some audio recordings of opera singer and frien...d Suzanne, possibly singing Christmas carols, to accompany Christmas-related poems of mine for the open mike, and what they hey, I may look through my archives at what I read BACK IN 1997 AT THIS VENUE, since this is the last time I get to read at Baci's establishment!!!

It is wonderful of Baci to have supported this poetry open mike since December 1996 at both Cafe Aloha and the Cafe, AND I WANT EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THIS POETRY OPEN MIKE - OR SUPPORTED PREVIOUS HOSTS DAVID RUBIN OR CHARLIE NEWMAN - TO COME OUT FOR THIS LAST DAY F POETRY AT HE CAFE!!!

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Cafe Sunday afternoon, for great poetry at the Cafe!

-=-

And HEY, John Yotko will have his guitar (for later in the evening), so I don't know, if anyone there wants any requests (even if it's of the original Janet/Warren song "What We Need In Life", or other stuff you've heard before), we *might* just be able to play a farewell song for this open mike location too!

-=-

The entire year listing for the 2011 schedule at the Cafe is on line, and the 2012 schedule at the NEW LOCATION - the artist-friendly space at Gallery Cabaret (2020 N. Oakley Ave. in Chicago - one block east of Western Avenue and one block north of Armitage, right near the Blue Line el stop and with tons of free parking) is now on line! The Cage Gallery poetry open mike in 2012 is now getting together EVERY ODD WEDNESDAY (the 1st, 3rd and sometimes 5 Wednesdays of every month).

Check out the 2012 schedule for the Cafe Gallery (at Gallery Cabaret) at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/2012schedule.htm (one link away from the main page at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe), because we we are now officially looking for 2012 features at Gallery Cabaret!

-- Janet Kuypers
thecafe@scars.tv
The Cafe, 2010 (weekly open mic)
5115 North Lincoln Ave., Chicago
http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe
$2 cover & 2 drink min. (water, beer: any drink, + something for the feature)

If you for any reason have difficulty sending emails to this address, you can (in emergencies only) send your questions/emails to Janet Kuypers through facebook (facebook dot com slash janetkuypers), or directly to janetkuypers at gmail dot com.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature in 2012), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules. feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature in 2012), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

Dec 14: The Danny's Reading Series

2011-12-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

The Danny's Reading Series
Wednesday, December 14
7:30pm

Featuring:
Adam Fell
Michelle Taransky
Aaron McCollough

at Danny's Tavern
1951 W. Dickens
21+ please bring ID
http://dannys.noslander.com

Adam Fell is the author of I AM NOT A PIONEER, published by H_NGM_N Books, and the chapbook Ten Keys to Being a Champion On and Off the Field (H_NGM_N, 2010). He is a graduate of UW-Madison & the Iowa Writers’ Workshop & teaches at Edgewood College in Madison, WI, where he co-curates the Monsters of Poetry reading series.

Michelle Taransky is Reviews Editor for Jacket2 and the author of "Barn Burned, Then," (Omnidawn 2009), selected by Marjorie Welish for the 2008 Omnidawn Poetry Prize. Taransky lives in Philadelphia where she works at Kelly Writers House and teaches writing and poetry at University of Pennsylvania. A chapbook, "No, I Will Be In The Woods" was just published by Brave Men Press.

Aaron McCollough is the author of five books of poetry. His fourth, NO GRAVE CAN HOLD MY BODY DOWN was just released by Ahsahta Press in September, and his fifth, UNDERLIGHT is forthcoming next fall from Ugly Duckling Press. His other books include LITTLE EASE, DOUBLE VENUS, and WELKIN. McCollough is the Librarian for English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan's Hatcher Graduate Library. He lives in Ann Arbor.

Saturday December 17th at Cafe Mestizo

2011-12-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

3:00 - 5:00
Cafe Mestizo
1738 W 18th St
Cultural Urban Coffee House
Come to the seventeenth Café Mestizo POETRY reading!
Featuring POETRY by
Buddha 309...Waiting for the bus host
Scott DeKatch...Author of Talking About Reason
Plus open mic
and special guests

Monday Dec. 19th:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Jan Bottiglieri

2011-12-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Mon, Dec 19
7:30(sign up)-10pm
Cafe' Ballou
939 N Western
w4tb presents open mic at the Bus Stop
Featuring Jan Bottiglieri
Music Lyric Night
Teen Tragedy

Dec 5th:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop

2011-12-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

W4tB little Christmas Extravaganza
Monday December 5th
Cafe Ballou
939 N Western Ave.
special Holiday open mic
7:30 sign up-10pm

Bring out your holiday poems
bring a special poem for inclusion in our own Weirdo version of Secret Santa
you may need:
a #2 pencil
a box of crayons
poems
dreams of sugar plums
one dredel
chocolate coins
poems
three ghosts
and either the True Meaning of Christmas or a Bah Humbug
oh...and poems

Dec 4: Vanessa Place

2011-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sunday, December 4th
at 2pm

The Renaissance Society presents
a reading by Vanessa Place

Vanessa Place is a writer, a lawyer, and co-director of Les Figues Press. Her dual appointment as lawyer by day and experimental writer by whenever makes her a handful and a head-full. She is author of Dies: A Sentence (2006), La Medusa (2008), Notes on Conceptualisms, co-authored with Robert Fitterman (2009), and The Guilt Project: Rape, Morality and Law (2010).

at University of Chicago
1025 East 58th Street
Swift Hall, room 106, first floor
on the Main Quadrangle, directly east of Cobb Hall
FREE

http://www.renaissancesociety.org

Nov 30: Revolving Door Reading Series

2011-11-26T10:11:00.000-08:00

Revolving Door Reading Series
Wednesday, November 30th

Featuring:
Derrick Weston Brown
Jennifer Karmin with collaborators
Kath Duffy, A D Jameson & Kenyatta Rogers

7:30pm open mic
8pm features

DERRICK WESTON BROWN has studied poetry under Dr. Tony Medina at Howard University and Cornelius Eady at American University, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from American University. He is the auth…or of a chapbook, The Unscene (published in 2006), and his work has appeared in DrumVoices Review, The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Black Issues & Book Reviews, and the Cave Canem Poetry Anthologies of 2002 and 2003. He is a native of Charlotte, NC and currently resides in Mount Rainier, MD. He is a Cave Canem fellow and the poet-in-residence at Busboys & Poets bookstore and restaurant.

JENNIFER KARMIN is the author of the text-sound epic Aaaaaaaaaaalice (Flim Forum Press, 2010) and has poems forthcoming in the anthology I’ll Drown My Book: Conceptual Writing by Women (Les Figues Press, 2012). Her multidisciplinary projects have been presented at festivals, artist-run spaces, and on city streets across the U.S., Japan, and Kenya. She teaches in the Creative Writing program at Columbia College Chicago and at Truman College, where she works with immigrants as a community educator.http://aaaaaaaaaaalice.blogspot.com

KATH DUFFY is a writer who co-founded the public art group Anti Gravity Surprise in 2001 to forge alliances with other artists, activists, community groups, and the general public. Expanding on collaboration as political force, Kath initiated the organizing efforts of the Dill Pickle Food Coop in late 2005, and is currently serving her second three year term on the board of directors. Kathleen earns her keep as the Communications Organizer for the Campaign for Better Health Care and is a member of the concert production staff of the Old Town School of Folk Music.

A D JAMESON is the author of two books: the prose collection Amazing Adult Fantasy (Mutable Sound, 2011), in which he tries to come to terms with having been raised on '80s pop culture, and the novel Giant Slugs (Lawrence and Gibson, 2011), an absurdist retelling of the Epic of Gilgamesh. He has taught classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lake Forest College, DePaul University, Facets Multimedia, and StoryStudio Chicago. He is also the nonfiction / reviews editor of the online journal Requited. He recently became a PhD candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a contributor at the blogs Big Other and HTMLGIANT.

KENYATTA ROGERS is a Cave Canem Fellow who received his MFA in Creative Writing Poetry from Columbia College Chicago. He is currently a member of the Chicago Poetry Brothel and instructor and tutor for the Chicago City Colleges and Columbia College Chicago as well as a Poet in Residence for the Hands on Stanzas program in Chicago. His work has been published or forthcoming in Vinyl, The Arsenic Lobster, Columbia Poetry Review, Court Green, and also featured in Word 4: Type+Image Exhibit. He was also nominated for a 2009 Illinois Arts Council Literacy Award for his poem Safety. http://unfukwithable.wordpress.com

REVOLVING DOOR READING SERIES is the Art District’s fashionable monthly reading series featuring poetry, cultural musings, and music spun by Fathom DJ. Every fourth Wednesday, we blend genres with poets, musicians, fictionists, artists and those in between. http://www.revolvingdr.com

W4tB tonight 11/21 with Bill Yarrow

2011-11-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Open mic
Cafe Ballou
939 N Western ave.
87:30 sign up-10pm

Nov 19-20: Chicago Book Expo 2011

2011-11-17T10:49:00.001-08:00

CHICAGO BOOK EXPO 2011

NOVEMBER 19 & 20 in Uptown
Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm

OVER 40 CHICAGO PRESSES!
A pop-up bookstore and literary extravaganza to introduce
Chicago publishers of fiction & poetry to Chicago readers
http://www.chicagowritershouse.org/presses.html

LOCATIONS:
Uptown Goldblatt's Building, 4720 N. Broadway
Uptown Broadway Building, 4701 N. Broadway

PANELS, WORKSHOPS, READINGS, PERFORMANCES & MORE:
http://www.chicagowritershouse.org/programming.html

FEATURING:
Davis Schneiderman, Jennifer Karmin, John Rich, Jonathan Messinger, Danielle Chapman, Joseph Altshuler, Jonny Thakkar, J. C. Gabel, Michael Kramer, Anupy Singla, Viktorija Todorovska, Terra Brockman, Bill Daley, Kathleen Rooney, Regin Igloria, Dave Pabellon & Tim Magner

SPECIAL EVENTS:
November 14-18: Preface Reading Series
November 19: Luis Humberto Valadez & Joan of Arc
http://www.chicagowritershouse.org/bookexpo2011.html

CHICAGO WRITERS HOUSE PROJECT:
The Writers House Project is an investigation into community. We seek to create a hub for literature, offer physical space for writers, and provide artist services and residencies. Our long-term ambition is to acquire a building. In the meantime, we are a mobile endeavor sponsoring programs throughout Chicago and collaborating with existing literary and arts organizations.
http://www.chicagowritershouse.org

The Friday on Tuesday Showcase

2011-11-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 22 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
TGI Friday's
7200 191st street
Tinley Park, IL
An all star line-up of poets invades TGI Friday for this showcase performance.

Hosted by Esteban Colon

With Musical Guests:
Three Piece and a Biscuit

Featuring:
Gregorio Gomez
Billy Tuggle
Charlie Newman
Robin Fine
Donna Vorreyer
La Pixie
Maxwell Baumbach
Kristin Latour
DeVonna
Karin Zink
Steve Nash
Buddha 309
G.P.A. "the Greatest Poet Alive" (the poetic Unsub)
. . . and more to be announced!

Nov 12: Artifice Release Party

2011-11-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Artifice is a nonprofit literary magazine devoted to prose and poetry “aware of its own artifice.” Based in Chicago, it has published work by such writers as Lance Olsen, Maureen Seaton, Blake Butler, Davis Schneiderman, and Molly Gaudry, among others. For more information or to order copies, visit www.artificemag.com.

Nov 11: The Human Micropoem @ Occupy Chicago

2011-11-07T12:42:00.001-08:00

You are invited to participate in
THE HUMAN MICROPOEM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11th @ 5pm
at Jackson & Lasalle (NE corner)
as part of Occupy Chicago
http://occupychi.org

Bring one poem 5 minutes in length to be read aloud
or just come & be part of the chorus -- all welcome!

The Human Micropoem is a call and response choral form utilizing the human microphone at the occupy movements to amplify the speaker's words by those listening. The speaker says a line and then everyone who can hear repeats it.

For more info email:
redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

12/11 poetry open mic at the Cafe, plus the Elizabeth Jacobson feature

2011-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

December 11, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, December 11th, the Cafe has poetry in the Elizabeth Jacobson feature, following an open mike.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature in 2012), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules. feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature in 2012), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

11/20 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Janet Kuypers feature (with music from the HA!man of South Africa and blues musician John Yotko)

2011-11-07T08:32:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 20, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, November 2oth, the Cafe has Janet Kuypers as the feature with new poetry, accompanied by live blues music from John Yotko, as well as video and music from recent performances by the HA!man of South Africa, following an open mic. This should be a truly unique and interesting show, and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Included in this feature is music from blues musician John Yotko, and also audio and video music from the HA!man of South Africa (since he was recently in town for his 2011 world tour). A number of brand new poems will be performed for this event (that were written for this feature); the video screen will be showing music and video throughout the feature, and (like her past Lake Villa video shows) there will even be a camera on Kuypers, broadcasting her on an additional 32" TV on stage.

Charlie Newman in the past has has said about Kuypers: "the always inventive, you-never-know-what-to-expect-cuz-she-gat-a-zillion-ideas JANET KUYPERS...our Poetess from the Edge of the World!" Usually calling her "Janet Kuypers, QUEEN OF MULTIMEDIA" (or even the "Czarina of Multimedia", Newman has even said her shows are a "poet show-stopper par excellence..."

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule, you can always check out the Cafe on line at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

11/13 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Andrea Witzke Slot feature

2011-11-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Sunday, November 13, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, November 13th, the Cafe has Andrea Witzke Slotas the feature, following an open mike. This should be a GREAT show, and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

11/08 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Judith Wiker feature

2011-11-06T15:17:00.000-08:00

November 8, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). November 8th has Judith Wiker as the feature, following an open mic. This should be a GREAT show, and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Details about the CALL for 2012 features is also available on line!

2011-11-01T15:55:00.001-07:00

Red Rover Series / Experiment #52

2011-10-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #52:
Full Court - Small Press Forum

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6th
7pm / doors lock 7:30pm
**please note change from usual day**

Featuring:
Patrick Durgin
Johannes Göransson
Caroline Picard
Susan M. Schultz

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

PATRICK DURGIN is the author of Imitation Poems (Atticus / Finch, 2006), and The Route (with Jen Hofer, Atelos, 2007-8). His poets theater script PQRS will be his next book, due out in 2012. He is the editor of Hannah Weiner’s Open House and The Early and Clairvoyant Journals of Hannah Weiner. He is editor and publisher of Kenning Editions, and teaches critical theory, literature, and writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kenning Editions @ http://www.kenningeditions.com.

JOHANNES GÖRANSSON is the author of several books of poetry, most recently Entrance to a colonial pageant in which we all begin to intricate, and several books in translation, including works by Aase Berg, Henry Parland and Johan Jönson. He teaches at the University of Notre Dame, co-edits Action Books, and writes for the blog Montevidayo.com. Action Books @ http://www.actionbooks.org.

CAROLINE PICARD is a writer, artist and performer. Based in Chicago, she is the Senior Editor for the Green Lantern Press. Recent writing and comics have been published in/by art.ltd, Bad at Sports, Proximity Magazine, Seven Stories Press, Artifice Magazine, MAKE Magazine and Pinch. Her first collection of short stories, Psycho Dream Factory (Holon Press, 2011) was released concurrently with a limited edition energy drink, "Happiness Machines". She makes music/videos with Lady Rollins and manages The Paper Cave, an on-line bookstore curated with select work from independent presses around the world. The Green Lantern Press @ http://press.thegreenlantern.org.

SUSAN M. SCHULTZ has lived and taught in Hawai`i since 1990. Her books of poetry include Memory Cards & Adoption Papers (Potes & Poets, 2001), Dementia Blog (Singing Horse, 2008), and (at press now) Memory Cards: 2010-2011 Series. She's edited Tinfish Press since 1995 and blogs at http://tinfisheditor.blogspot.com on publishing, Alzheimer's, and much else. She's a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. Tinfish Press @ http://tinfishpress.com.

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

**UPCOMING**
Winter/Spring 2012 schedule, details TBA
Collaboration with Cuban writers at Links Hall, AWP showcase, cross-dressing event for "Men Undressed" & more!

Email ideas for reading experiments
to us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The schedule for events is listed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redroverseries

W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Lauren Ashleigh Hermann

2011-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

7:30(sign up)-10pm
Cafe' Ballou
939 N Western
w4tb presents open mic
Featuring Lauren Ashleigh Hermann
suggested theme:Muses
Suggested prompt:Cold Muse Knife

Top Shelf poets presents:

2011-10-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

St. Paul's Cultural Center
2215 W. North ave.
W4tB presents the First Friday Top Shelf Poets
Featuring the Molly Malone's All Stars
Maureen Flannery, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Marty McConnell, Charlie Newman and Charlie Rossiter.
hosted by: Nina Corwin and Al DeGenova
The show starts promptly a 7pm and runs until 8:45
This show is in real time, not poetry time.
Please plan accordingly.

W4tB presents: The extra Monday show, Oct 31st

2011-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

7:30-10pm
Cafe Ballou
939 N western Ave
Chicago Il
The Extra Monday Show
Halloween open Mic
Suggested theme:Wear a costume it's Halloween
and bring your scariest poems

Oct 30: The Human Micropoem @ Occupy Chicago

2011-10-26T22:39:00.001-07:00

You are invited to participate in
THE HUMAN MICROPOEM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30th @ 12:30pm
at Jackson & Lasalle (NE corner)
as part of Occupy Chicago
http://occupychi.org

Bring one poem 5 minutes in length to be read aloud
or just come & be part of the chorus -- all welcome!

The Human Micropoem is a call and response choral form utilizing the human microphone at the occupy movements to amplify the speaker's words by those listening. The speaker says a line and then everyone who can hear repeats it.

For more info email:
redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The HA!man of South Africa 10/16/11 AIDS Awareness music show, Francois ...

2011-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

The HA!man of South Africa 10/16/11 Chicago Seminary music show, Francoi...

2011-10-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

Oct 18th at The Cafe

2011-10-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Tue, Oct 18
8:00-10:00 - open mic & feature
The Cafe
5115 N. Lincoln

Feature... Esteban Colon with Special Guest Bob Lawrence

Come to the Café open mic & regular feature show 50 Tuesdays/year. (We take the 1st Tuesday in Jan and the last Tuesday in Dec off.)
Info about the Cafe poetry & performance art open mic, and the 2010 schedule (and even the menu at the Cafe!) is always on line at
http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/
For the full year of features, check out the 2010 schedule at
http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/2010schedule.htm - which also have an email link if you are interested in a feature on one of the remaining open dates in 2011!
$2 cover (plus a donation for the feature) + 2 drink min. (any beverage...even bottles of water)
Host Janet Kuypers can always be reached at thecafe@scars.tv.

10/26 poetry open mic at the Cafe while the host is away... Enjoy the Kristin LaTour feature

2011-10-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

October 25, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mike. Now, the Cafe is normally hosted by Janet Kuypers, but due to out of town business, guest hosts Bob Rashkow and Michael Hoag will be fielding the space at the Cafe on October 25th. This "stripped" week at the Cafe (no microphone or amp and no video recording this week) has Kristin LaTour as the feature, following an open mic. This should be a great evening at the Cafe, so come and check out this never-seen-again one-of-a-kind performance!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules. (No podcast will be recorded this week at the Cafe, but you can check out all other podcasts, since all past mp4 files are kept online for anyone to download whenever they want.)

October 17th at W4tB

2011-10-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

W4tB presents:
open Mic at the Bus Stop
Cafe' Ballou
7:30(sign up)-10pm
suggested theme-Love and Death
featured poet: Joe Motisi

10/18 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Esteban Colon feature

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

October 18, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). October 18th has Esteban Colon (accompanied By Bob Lawrence) as the feature, following an open mic. I am SO looking forward to this evening at the Cafe (Esteban even tells me he has some special additions planned for his feature, so you'll have to come to the Cafe to see his performance!), so I look forward to seeing everyone there!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

10/11 poetry open mic at the Cafe and open mike mini-feature night!

2011-10-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

October 11, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). October 11th has mini-feature night for all open mike poets (Kristin LaTour was originally the feature, but she is out of state 10/11/11), so for the open mike, all poets can have up to a 10 minute mini-feature for their performance! I am really looking forward to this evening at the Cafe (since John and I just performed music with poetry at the Omniphonic Challenge in Chicago 10/07/11, and even though John is out of town, I *may* resurrect a poem or two from that set with pre-recorded John Yotko music) ,and I look forward to seeing everyone there!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

Long Now & Then

2011-10-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

“Long Now & Then” at Myopic Books
2011 Chicago Calling Arts Festival

Saturday, October 8 (7 p.m.)

2011 is the 15th anniversary of The Long Now. “Long Now and Then” includes poetry collaborations that creatively explore themes that pertain to time, nowness, eternity, the moment, etc. “Long Now and Then” participants and projects include:

Jen Besemer (Chicago) and Tim Armentrout (West Virginia)
Eric Elshtain (Chicago) and Gregory Fraser (Carrollton, GA)
Nick Demske (Racine, WI) and Dolly Lemke
Next Objectivists (Chicago)

free and open to the public

Myopic Books
1564 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
phone: (773) 862-4882

The complete schedule of Chicago Calling events is available at http://www.borderbend.org/chicago-calling.html

Oct 7: The Dollhouse Reading Series

2011-10-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

2011-10-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

7:00pm - 10:00pm
Cafe Ballou
939 N Western Ave.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Calling
Participants include—
a project involving the munich_word_brigade (agent_k9, proto ee 163 in Munich, Germany); Zan Hoffman (Louisville, KY); chicago_word_brigade (granex_plubar_monocrostix, Teliyani_Dēvadūta); and Charlie Newman (Chicago)
Bob Rashkow (Chicago) and Orin Buck (New York)
Esteban Colon (Chicago) and Tony Renner (St. Louis, MO)
Susan Swanton (Tartu, Estonia) and Matt Barton (Chicago)
Buddha309 (Chicago) and Bill George (Dangerfield, TX)
Robin Fine (Chicago) and Oz Hardwic (London)
Wayne Allen Jones (Chicago) and Zack Kluckman (Albuquerque, NM)
Janet Kuypers (Chicago) and the HA!man (South Africa)
Jenene O. Ravesloot (Chicago) and Stephanie Miller (Atlanta, GA)
Charlie Rossiter (Chicago) and Tom Nicotera (Hartford, CT)
Chicago Calling is a multi-arts collaboration festival. During the 6th Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival, people in Chicago work with people outside of Chicago — both here in the U.S. and abroad. These collaborations include a range of art forms, such as music, dance, film, literature, and intermedia — and they are prepared or improvised. Some Chicago Calling events involve live feeds between Chicago and other locations
Chicago Calling is an amazing event, and this year the Weirdos at W4tB are helping to curate. That mostly means that we are asking if people are interested in performing at our venue with their collaborator. Give us a yell if you have a cunning plan or if you need to be hooked up with an artistic partner,we might be able to direct you. Contact us at waiting4bus@gmail.com

W4tB presents: The extra Monday show, Oct 31st

2011-10-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Halloween open Mic
7:30-10pm
Cafe Ballou
939 N western Ave
Chicago Il
Suggested theme:Wear a costume it's Halloween
and bring your scariest poems

Top Shelf poets presents:

2011-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Fri, Oct 7
7:30-9:30pm
St Paul's Cultural Center
2215 w North Ave
First Friday
Top shelf Poets
The Omniphonic Challenge
(The Battle of the Poetry Bands)
Featuring
Omniphonic
Zootsuitbeatnick!
the Bob Lawrence X-perience
and The Second Axing

Red Rover Series / Experiment #51

2011-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #51:
X-Ref = Encyclopedia Vol. 2 F-K

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1st
5pm / doors lock 5:30pm
**please note change from usual time**

Featuring:
Samiya Bashir
Tisa Bryant
Gabrielle Civil
Carina Gia Farrero
Krista Franklin
A. Naomi Jackson
John Keene

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA PROJECT was founded in 2006, and is edited and published by Tisa Bryant, Miranda Mellis and Kate Schatz. The Encyclopedia Project is a hybrid publication that plays with the reference book, literary journal and arts catalogue, blending all into a hybrid series of cross-referenced hardcover volumes. Each book complicates categorical, genre and narrative expectations, while connecting seemingly disparate writers, artists and ideas within and among volumes. Encyclopedia Vol. 1 A-E was published to wide acclaim in 2006; Encyclopedia Vol. 2 F-K just launched new excitement in 2010. http://www.encyclopediaproject.org

SAMIYA BASHIR is the author of Gospel, finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the 2009 Lambda Literary Award, and Where the Apple Falls, a Poetry Foundation bestseller and finalist for the 2005 Lambda Literary Award. Bashir is editor of Black Women’s Erotica 2 and co-editor, with Tony Medina and Quraysh Ali Lansana, of Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art. Bashir’s poetry, stories, articles and editorial work have been featured in numerous publications and granted several awards. For over a decade, Bashir worked as a social justice communications professional and was a founding organizer of Fire & Ink, a writer’s festival for LGBT writers of African descent. Most recently, she was owner and principal consultant of Lead Time Consulting, specializing in communications for non-profits and arts organizations. She currently lives amidst the Ann Arbor trees beneath which she teaches writing at the University of Michigan.

TISA BRYANT is the author of Unexplained Presence (Leon Works, 2007), a collection of hybrid essays on myth-making and black presences in film, literature and visual art. She is co-editor/founder of The Encyclopedia Project, and co-editor (with Ernest Hardy) of War Diaries, an anthology on black gay men’s desire and survival, published in 2010 by AIDS Project Los Angeles, and nominated for a LAMBDA Literary Award. Her work has recently appeared or is forthcoming in the journals 1913, Animal Shelter, Mandorla, Mixed Blood, Viz., in the ‘zine, Universal Remote: Meditations on the Absence of Michael Jackson, and the solo exhibits of visual artists Jaime Cortez, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, and filmmaker Cauleen Smith. A novel, The Curator, is forthcoming. She teaches at the California Institute of the Arts

GABRIELLE CIVIL is a black woman poet, conceptual and performance artist originally from Detroit, MI. Over the last ten years, she has premiered over twenty original performance works nationally (Minneapolis, Chicago, NYC) and internationally (Mexico, Puerto Rico, The Gambia).She is currently disseminating work from her 2008-2009 Fulbright Fellowship project “In and Out of Place: Making Black Feminist Performance Art in Mexico” and is circulating Swallow the Fish, her critical/creative text on race, body and performance art. She teaches at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. The aim of all her work is to open up space.

CARINA GIA FARRERO, writer and interdisciplinary performer, received her BA from U.C. Berkeley, and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a PhD candidate in English at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and a professor at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. Her poems were most recently published or are forthcoming in Verse Daily, Arsenic Lobster, The Encyclopedia Project and Windy City Queer.

KRISTA FRANKLIN is a poet and visual artist from Dayton, OH who lives and works in Chicago. Her poetry and mixed medium collages have been published in lifestyle and literary journals such as Coon Bidness, Copper Nickel, RATTLE, Indiana Review, Ecotone, Clam and Callaloo, and in the anthologies Encyclopedia Vol. 2 F-K and Gathering Ground. Her visual art has been featured on the covers of award-winning books, and exhibited nationally in solo and group exhibitions. Franklin is a Cave Canem Fellow, a co-founder of 2nd Sun Salon, a community meeting space for writers, visual and performance artists, musicians and scholars, and a teaching artist for Young Chicago Authors, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, and numerous organizations in the city of Chicago.

A. NAOMI JACKSON was born and raised in Brooklyn by West Indian parents. She traveled to South Africa on a Fulbright scholarship, where she received an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. A graduate of Williams College, her work has appeared in Coon Bidness, Encyclopedia, Obsidian, The Caribbean Writer, Sable, and Does Your Mama Know: An Anthology of Black Lesbian Writing. She has been a resident at Hedgebrook and received the Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker scholarship at the Fine Arts Work Center. She co-founded the Tongues Afire creative writing workshop in 2006 and is a current student in fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

JOHN KEENE is a writer, translator and Associate Professor of English and African American Studies at Northwestern University. He has a B.A. from Harvard and an M.F.A. from New York University. He was a longtime member of the Dark Room Collective, an organization that from 1988 to 1998 celebrated and gave greater visibility to emerging and established writers of color. His first novel, Annotations, was published by New Directions in 1995. A new collection of poems entitled Seismosis, in collaboration with Christopher Stackkhouse, was published by 1913 Press in 2006.

THE CHICAGO CALLING ARTS FESTIVAL presents multi-disciplinary collaborations during Chicago Artists Month and collaborated with Red Rover Series on Experiment #51. For the 6th Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival, people in the Chicago area will work with others outside of Chicago — both in the U.S. and abroad; these collaborations include a range of art forms, such as music, dance, film, literature, and intermedia — prepared or improvised. http://www.chicagocalling.org

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

Email ideas for reading experiments
to us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The schedule for events is listed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redroverseries

Sept 23: Douglas Kearney

2011-09-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Harriet Reading Series

DOUGLAS KEARNEY

Friday, September 23 at 7:00 PM

at the Poetry Foundation
61 W. Superior Street
(Dearborn & Superior)

Free admission

The Harriet Reading Series features readings and presentations by “Craft Work” and “Open Door” writers from the Poetry Foundation’s blog, Harriet. “Craft W ork” regularly features poets, editors, and translators writing in detail about their work, while “Open Door” reports on events and community organizations around the world. Poet, performer, librettist, and “Craft Work” contributor Douglas Kearney inaugurates this bi-monthly reading series.

Douglas Kearney’s poems touch on politics, African-American culture, and contemporary music, among other themes. He describes the nontraditional layout of his poems as “performative typography.” The author of Fear, Some and The Black Automaton, a finalist for the Pen Center USA Literary Award in poetry, Kearney teaches courses in African American poetry, opera, and myth at California Institute of the Arts. A reception will follow his reading.

Sept 24: Bad Date America

2011-09-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #50:
Bad Date America

A special event with
100 Thousand Poets for Change

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th
7-9pm

Featuring:
Kaveh Adel
Barbara Barg
Jen Besemer
Dan Godston
Laura Goldstein
Ruth Goring
Ezzat Goushegir
Kurt Heintz
Marcy Rae Henry
Philip Jenks
Jennifer Karmin
Francesco Levato
Toni Asante Lightfoot
Monica Long
Anthony Madrid
Mario
Ario Mashayekhi
Charlie Newman
Ladan Osman
Roger Reeves
Timothy David Rey
Kenyatta Rogers
Jacob Saenz
Larry Sawyer
Don Share
Keli Stewart
Tony Trigilio
Lina ramona Vitkauskas

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

BAD DATE AMERICA is the Chicago event of 100 Thousand Poets for Change. In the spirit of community-building, guest curators Larry Sawyer and Lina ramona Vitkauskas are asking local poets to go on a hypothetical “date” with America. Has your relationship with America started to seem like a bad date? Check out -- http://baddateamerica.wordpress.com

100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE is a global initiative of poetry readings, political demonstrations, community picnics, awareness events, and parades that will take place in 450 cities across the planet on September 24, 2011 to promote serious social, environmental, and political change. More at -- http://www.100tpc.org

MESS HALL is a Chicago-based experimental cultural center and collaborated with Red Rover Series on Bad Date America. Mess Hall is a place where visual art, radical politics, creative urban planning, applied ecological design and other things intersect and inform each other. They host exhibitions, discussions, film screenings, brunchlucks (brunch + potluck), workshops, concerts, campaigns, meetings (both closed and open) and more. See -- http://messhall.org

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

Email ideas for reading experiments
to us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The schedule for events is listed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redroverseries

Piano Rats

2011-09-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

Praise for Piano Rats:

“The 44 pieces in Franki Elliott’s Piano Rats are like the best kind of chance meetings—weird and unsettling, specific and transformative. They are Frank O’Hara meets Ellen Kennedy, ‘first kiss’ meets ‘fuck off,’ ‘hell’ meets ‘rainstorm,’ poetry meets prose, narrative meets lyric, trailer park meets city street. But they are also entirely themselves, places where you ‘remember who you wanted to be.’”

~Kathleen Rooney, author of Oneiromance (an epithalamion), managing editor of Rose Metal Press.

“Piano Rats is an homage to being stuck between where you've been and where you still might go. It's just that you haven't quite figured out how to escape where you've been and frankly you have no idea what comes next. And it is this tension of stuckness in all its messy, druggy, sometimes hopeful, youthful confusion that lives here in these poems and explodes across these pages, all oozy and terribly electric.”

~Ben Tanzer, author of Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine, 99 Problems, My Father's House, and You Can Make Him Like You, among others.

“In Piano Rats you will find a young women drowning in sadness, and not worried about how she can hide it. Franki Elliot exposes what most bury beneath layers of shallow conversations, bottles of alcohol, and innuendo. She will subtly make you love her and hate her in the matter of a few well placed lines.”

~Jason Behrands, managing editor of Orange Alert Press.

“From page one, Franki's honesty and ability to drop an F-Bomb won my heart. Here is a woman who is no stranger to love. She’s suffered its beauty, its jealousy, and its brutal end. Her poetry is like a mirror hanging on my wall, reflecting my own emotions and thoughts back at me. She makes me want to scream ‘Fuck You’ to every guy I dated who didn’t ‘get me’. She makes me want to get behind the pretty words people throw around, quit beating around the bush, and see things for what they really are. She creates a language of her own, breathing out lines like: ‘Love sometimes is just another word for jealousy’, and ‘We can't save ourselves from anything that's supposed to happen.’”

~Lori Hettler of The Next Best Book Club (TNBBC) Blog.

“Franki Elliot's Piano Rats contains the kind of writing that forces its way into your thoughts. Her poems tingle the senses as the clever use of words often will, but there is more. They leave behind a love bite and a bruise. They're only felt deeply -- that good, hard heartbreak and tragedy that's nothing if not funny and sad at the same time. Like learning to live a little and with what you've got.”

~Matt Rowan, founding editor of www.UntowardMag.com

About the Author:

Franki Elliot is a 27 year old Chicago author who often is referred to as a “female Charles Bukowski” or “JD Salinger with a skirt.” She self-published a first edition of Piano Rats in 2010 that quickly sold-out. Curbside Splendor picked it up in 2011 for a second edition. She can’t keep a secret. This is her first book.

About the Publisher:

Curbside Splendor publishes work online and in print, sells books by Chicago presses and authors on a periodic basis at the Logan Square Farmers Market, and presents literary events at various venues throughout Chicago. Piano Rats marks its fourth publication. Staff include Curbside Splendor Editor-in-Chief Victor David Giron as Publisher, Curbside Splendor Sr. Managing Editor Jacob S. Knabb as Editor, and Curbside Splendor Managing Editors Lauryn Allison Lewis and Leah Tallon. Visit Curbside Splendor on the Web at www.curbsidesplendor.com. For additional information, contact Victor David Giron at info@curbsidesplendor.com or at (312) 342-5935.

Publication Details

Publication date: October 15, 2011

Edition: 2

Imprint: Curbside Splendor Publishing

Trade Paperback

72 pages; 4.0″ x 6.0″; $10.00 USD

ISBN: 978-0-9834228-3-9

Publisher: Victor David Giron

Author: Franki Elliot

Editor: Jacob S. Knabb

Designer: Shawn Stucky (http://www.shawnstucky.com/)

Website: http://curbsidesplendor.com/index.php?id=206

Availability

Publisher Direct - http://curbsidesplendor.bigcartel.com/product/piano-rats
Amazon.com - Kindle
Independent bookstores TBA

Sept 7: Collection & Cocktails

2011-09-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Collection & Cocktails:
A Poetry Foundation Library Open House

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th
5:30 to 8:30 PM

at the Poetry Foundation
61 West Superior Street
http://www.poetryfoundation.org

With readings of favorite poems
from the library collection by local poets

6:30PM
Philip Jenks
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Dolly Lemke
Anthony Madrid

7:30PM
Kathleen Rooney
Mike Puican
Robbie Telfer
Jennifer Karmin

Festivities include poetry fortune telling, poetry recording sessions, and a scavenger hunt. Wine and light refreshments will also be served.

FREE admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets not required for entrance; registering does not guarantee entrance.
http://collectionandcocktails.eventbrite.com

The new Poetry Foundation Library houses the organization's 30,000-volume colletion, with books dating back to 1916. The non-circulating collection is now open to the public. The Poetry Foundation Library extends its hours this fall and expands its children's programming. The library, now open to the general public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., will also be open Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. as of September 9th.

10/04 Chicago Calling the Cafe! Come watch Collaborative performances!

2011-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

October 4, 8:30PM

Chicago Calling at The Cafe!
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On October 4th the Cafe sponsors a night with Chicago Calling!

The Sixth Annual Chicago Calling Arts Festival happens in October 2011, and the Cafe is thrilled to host a night of performances for Chicago Calling. One purpose of Chicago Calling is to create opportunities for Chicago-based artists to collaborate with artists who live outside of Chicago. Any medium (theater, music, film, dance, photography, and so on) is acceptable. Each collaboration can occur within one medium, or it can be interdisciplinary.

All performers who have in the past done collaborative work with people outside of Chicago are welcome to perform this collaborative work (external video or audio could be brought in for the performance, so we can know the collaborative work) Tuesday evening (October 4th) at the Cafe. If anyone is interested in performing, let Janet Kuypers know (contact her where you can request an entry form for this show at thecafe@scars.tv, or if you have difficulty getting an email though, you can always contact her at janet kuypers at gmail dot com, or contact her through her Janet Kuypers page on facebook - and be a part of this collaborative evening!).

Get ready of the Alice/Catherine/Whitney collaboration with the show titled "Loss, Survival, Remembrance", material from Cathleen Schandelmeier-Bartels, film from Stan West (Columbia College in Chicago) with film with Kurt Naiker (South Africa), a performance from Steven Teref, Elizabeth Marino (Chicago) & Sally Evans with "a Mess O Poems", Tom Roby (with accompanying art from artist Linae Frei of Scottsdale Arizona), John Yotko (of Chicago) performing with poetry from C Ra McGuirt (once from Nashville, now in Alberta Canada), and Janet Kuypers poetry (with video of cello musician the HA!man of South Africa), and more at this one-time only event!

the line-up is still expanding, so this should be an EXCELLENT collaboration feature event that no one will want to miss! So check out schedule listings at the Cafe site http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/2011schedule.htm#chicago-calling, and keep in mind that at any time you can always check out the main page at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules, where you can also get email connections to ask to be a part of an electric, eclectic show at the Cafe!

We are also posting updates and details about this event on the Chicago Calling at the Cafe facebook page http://www.facebook.com/janetkuypers#!/event.php?eid=242697109101772 that you can check out any time.

But the event was GREAT SUCCESS, with video accompanying half of the performers. The podcast for the Cafe (the podcast link is on line at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/mp4podcasts/the_cafe_mp4_podcasts.xml, though you can also see an iTunes link for the podcast at main page for the Cafe at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe), and there is even a youtube link for the ENTIRE SHOW (minus performers who wished to not be video recorded)!

Aug 27: Sophie Robinson & Nathanaël

2011-08-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 27th
7pm at Myopic Books
1564 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

SOPHIE ROBINSON is a poet and performer living and working in London. Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies, and her debut book, A, was published by Les Figues in 2009.

NATHANAËL’s books include We Press Ourselves Plainly, Carnet de délibérations, Absence Where As (Claude Cahun and the Unopened Book) and The Sorrow and the Fast of It. Formerly published under the name Nathalie Stephens, Nathanaël has translated works by Catherine Mavrikakis, Gail Scott, John Keene, and Édouard Glissant. She lives in Chicago.

Red Rover Series / Experiment #49

2011-08-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #49:
Full-Body Poetics

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26th
7:30pm / doors lock 8pm
**please note change from usual time**

Featuring:
Geof Huth
Steve Roggenbuck

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

GEOF HUTH writes frequently about poetry, visual and otherwise, at his blog, dbqp: visualizing poetics. His poetry consists of one-word poems, poems written in unintelligible scripts, poems painted onto canvas or assembled within boxes, poems sung and audio- or videorecorded during the moments of their creation, poems created within nature and left to disappear back into it, and even syntactic text separated into lines. Each of his poetry performances attempts to use his entire body fully to examine the possible extent of poetry. His latest book is "ntst: the collected pwoermds of geof huth", a book of 775 one-word poems.
http://dbqp.blogspot.com

STEVE ROGGENBUCK, i started writing in 2006 as a poet, and now i’m not sure if i’m a poet or something else. i am 23 years old and i live in chicago. i grew up in rural michigan and played in a death metal band in high school. i am a vegan and a buddhist. everything i make is available free online, self-published into the public domain. i have two short books: one of msn messenger excerpts set in large helvetica, "DOWNLOAD HELVETICA FOR FREE.COM", and one of minimalist plain-text poems, "i am like october when i am dead".
http://livemylief.com

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

Email ideas for reading experiments
to us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The schedule for events is listed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redroverseries

12/04 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Charlotte Hart feature

2011-08-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

December 4, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, December 4th, the Cafe has Charlotte Hart as the feature, following an open mic. All features are videotaped for the Cafe weekly podcast (and for youtube video release, of course), but after the open mic, we would love to see everyone there in person for the live feature!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

11/27 poetry open mic at the Cafe, plus the Tom Roby & Jenene Ravesloot feature

2011-08-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday, November 27, 3:00PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). On Sunday, November 27th, the Cafe has dialog poetry and poetry in the Tom Roby and Jenene Ravesloot feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature in 2012), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

09/06 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

2011-08-14T06:47:00.001-07:00

September 6, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). September 6th has a mini-feature night, where throughout the open mic people can read up to 10 minutes of material. The last mini feature night was such a success (and so loved by the audience) that we are thrilled to do it again...

And all people who did NOT get a youtube video link of their mini-feature reading at the Cafe in the past can even get a youtube video link of their reading!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN full-length feature, you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

09/13 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Rochelle Holt feature

2011-08-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

September 13, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). September 13th has Rochelle Holt as the feature, following an open mic. With multiple Rochelle Holt books published over the years through Scars Publications ( http://scars.tv) and two Rochelle Holt books currently available for sale from Scars (the 2nd printing of Anais Nin: an Understanding of her art: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/anais-nin-an-understanding-of-her-art/10294449, and the 2011 poetry book Death of an Angel: https://www.createspace.com/3476878), this intimate evening should be a truly enjoyable event to share with Rochelle!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

08/16 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

2011-08-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

August 16, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). August 16th has a mini-feature night, where throughout the open mic people can read up to 10 minutes of material. The last mini feature night was such a success (and so loved by the audience) that we are thrilled to do it again...

Like the last mini-feature night at the Cafe, we may consider setting up the stage at the back wall (and not at the arches to the left side), and if we can pull it off, we will also have a video display of random art from around the country (and around the world) on the back wall to accompany all open mic readers during their mini-features.

And all people who did NOT get a youtube video link of their mini-feature reading at the Cafe in the past can even get a youtube video link of their reading!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN full-length feature, you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the weekly podcast, feature videos or future schedules.

Red Rover Series / fall 2011

2011-08-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

RED ROVER SERIES
{readings that play with reading}

FALL 2011
Chicago, IL

Experiment #49: AUGUST 26TH
Full-Body Poetics
Geof Huth & Steve Roggenbuck

Experiment #50: SEPTEMBER 24TH
Bad Date America - 100 Thousand Poets for Change
Dan Godston, Laura Goldstein, Philip Jenks,
Jennifer Karmin, Francesco Levato, Anthony Madrid,
Charlie Newman, Larry Sawyer, Don Share, Tony Trigilio,
Lina Ramona Vitkauskas & more TBA

Experiment #51: OCTOBER 1ST
Encyclopedia Volume 2 (F-K)
Tisa Bryant, Gabrielle Civil,
Carina Farrero, Krista Franklin & John Keene

Experiment #52: NOVEMBER 6TH
Small Press Publishing Forum
Charles Alexander, Patrick Durgin & Susan M. Schultz

at OUTER SPACE STUDIO
1474 N. Milwaukee Avenue
near the CTA Damen blue line
suggested donation $4

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

Email ideas for reading experiments
to us at redroverseries@yahoogroups.com

The schedule for events is listed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/redroverseries

WOW WOW WOW
Red Rover Series
on facebook? why not?

2011-08-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

theG O O D

E V E N I N G readingseries

presents:

Stephen James Dvorak,

Joseph Mains,

Ashley Toliver

Friday, August 19

7:00p.m.

T H R E E P E A S L O U N G E

75 E. 16^th Street

Easily accessible from Michigan Avenue buses & a few blocks south of the Roosevelt Redline at 16^th (between Michigan and Wabash).

/ / / /

S T E V E N J A M E S D V O R A K has the strength of 100 men. He has an MFA from the University of Miami and works as a shipping clerk in Chicago.

J O S E P H M A I N S received his MFA from The University of Arizona, where he served as Chief Poetry Editor of Sonora Review. He is the author of the chapbooks To Live Don's Life: A Film in 15 Creams, and Poum Poum Tralala. His work appears in Forklift, Ohio, Cream City Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Front Porch, Shampoo, Spork, and Poor Claudia, among others. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where, along with Zachary Schomburg and Drew Swenhaugen, he co-curates the reading series Bad Blood.

A S H L E Y T O L I V E R’s recent work can be found in Caketrain, elimae, DIAGRAM and Third Coast journals. She has received fellowships from the Cave Canem Foundation and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Until 5 days ago, she lived and worked in Portland, Oregon. Now, she’s driving across the country to Providence, RI where she will be studying in the graduate Literary Arts program at Brown University.

Molly Malone's

2011-08-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Lost in the lingering wheels of Mythology, the two headed dog has been all but expunged from the cultural history of many ancient peoples. In Ancient Egypt the beast is mentioned as a child of Anubis and was charged with guarding the 13 steps to the afterlife. One legend claims the mighty creature ate the heart of the cat goddess Bast, and condemned her to eternal suffering.

The Most compelling of the old tales regarding the two headed dog is from the Greeks. The only stories to give him the name Janus. Made from solid Orichalcum by the hands of the god Hephaestus. Janus was meant as a gift for Hera, queen of the gods. Hera charged the beast with the task of guarding Ambrosia (food of the gods), so no mortal should ever rise to be as powerful as the residents of Olympus.

In early Christian Mythology, a two headed dog was the guardian of two doors. One door led to heaven and one door led to hell. Souls on their way to the afterlife would choose a door and seal their fate. All who approached could ask the dog one question for guidance. The trick being that one head always lies and the other always speaks true.

In Germanic folklore there is a tale of a girl encountering a two headed dog on her way to see her grandmother. The beast is tethered to the mighty world tree called yggdrasil by the unbreakable chain of heaven. The dog is said to guard the Golden Apples of Idunn and to keep travelers from straying from the forest path and stumbling into the garden of the goddess.

In the 1880's a young doctor stumbled across the cult of Baskerville who were said to worship a dual headed canine beast with green glowing eyes.

In more modern times, blues man Robert Johnson claims that he went to the crossroads and sold his soul to a man whose only companion was a gigantic and ferocious beast with two heads and a thousand teeth.

The iconic creature permeates many cultures. It has never been revealed whether the dog is a force for good or evil, or if it just stands as a balance between order and chaos

7:00 -- open mic sign-up begins

7:30 -- open mic (5 minutes per reader)

9:00 -- featured reader

Molly Malone's Irish Pub

7652 Madison Street

Forest Park, IL

708-366-8073

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:

2011-08-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

7:30pm - 10:00pm

Cafe Ballou

939 N Western Ave.

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop

Cafe Ballou

939 N Western Ave

7:30 sign up-10pm

featuring: Susan Swanton

suggested theme: Important Women in History

July 29: Printers' Ball

2011-07-27T15:22:00.001-07:00

7th Annual Printers’ Ball:
IT’S ALIVE!

Friday, July 29th
6-11pm

at The Ludington Building
Columbia College Chicago
1104 S. Wabash Avenue
FREE for all ages

The Printers' Ball celebrates literary culture by offering thousands of magazines, books, and broadsides free of charge; showcasing live music, readings, and performances; demonstrating letterpress, offset, and silk-screen printing and paper-making; and providing other activities, entertainment, food, and drink — all free!

Features include:

* Poetry reading by David Berman.

* “Reading Experiment in Progress”: An interactive performance and mini-reading of Jennifer Karmin’s text-sound epic Aaaaaaaaaaalice.

* A short animated preview of the novel Ghosts by César Aira; animation by Susie Kirkwood and Jill Summers, original score by Daniel Knox.

* Where a Blade Becomes Horizon by Simone Muench. Muench’s poem-film, or cinematic poem, uses juxtaposed footage of numerous horror films superimposed with a patchwork of various poetic texts and music.

* What do you Believe?" An installation of real life monster encounters by illustrator Marika Paz and researcher Patrick Summers.

* Salsa music by An Ebirac Project featuring Willie Gomez, with poet Luis Tubens.

* Busted Books: The Great Soaking. Performance by Davis Schneiderman.

* Next Objectivists: Transcriptions. From behind typewriters, they'll transcribe the thoughts and worst fears of Chicagoans.

* Larger-than-life-size Ouija Board by Chicago Underground Library. Guests are invited to contact the spirits of larger-than-life authors using their larger-than-life Oujia Board.

* The Whitechapel Club by Pocket Guide to Hell. Taking its name from Jack the Ripper's London haunt, the Whitechapel Club was a Chicago press club in the 1890s that gathered together world-weary Chicago journalists for drinking, singing, storytelling, and general carousing.

* The World As Text, a summer reading room and exhibition crafted out of re-purposed furniture.

* Live video collage by Judgeworks.

* Knee-Jerkmagazine’s Inner Literary Monsters.

* Frankenzine by Chicago Zine Fest.

The Printers' Ball is presented by the Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine with the Center for Book & Paper Arts, the Chicago Underground Library, Columbia College Chicago, and MAKE.

ECO Release Party with Jared Smith

2011-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

ECO Summer Magazine release party
THE SECRET POET'S OTHER BALL

Cafe Ballou
939 N Western Ave
7:30-10pm

featuring:
a host of readers and
the amazing Jared Smith

August 1 @W4tB

2011-07-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop

Cafe Ballou
939 N Western Ave
7:30 sign up-10pm
featuring, a rare appearance by the Dark Lady herself: Dena Pope
suggested theme: It's Death and Misery night

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:

2011-07-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series / Experiment #48

2011-07-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #48:
Magnetic Affinities & Altered Relations

SATURDAY, JULY 16
7pm / doors lock 7:30

Featuring:
Jai Arun Ravine
Zihan Loo
Marissa Perel
Oli Rodriguez

An evening of text-based performance, sound and video works that channel haunting discontinuities between identity, place, desire and visibility. Guest curated by Marissa Perel.

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

JAI ARUN RAVINE is a Thai American inter-media artist. Ze is the author of the chapbook "Is This January" (Corollary Press, 2010), "The Spiderboi Files" and a full-length book of poems forthcoming from Tinfish Press. Hir short experimental film on Thai trans-masculinities, "Tom/Trans/Thai," recently exhibited at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, Thailand. A Kundiman fellow, their poetry, essays, reviews and visual art have appeared in Drunken Boat, Lantern Review, Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, TinFish 18, Delirious Hem and Galatea Resurrects, among others. Find Jai online at jaiarunravine.wordpress.com.

ZIHAN LOO is a moving-image, performance and installation artist raised in Singapore and currently based in Chicago. He received a MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011. His films have been screened in various film festivals including AFI Fest (L.A.), Pusan International Film Festival, Newfest (New York City) and Frameline (San Francisco). He has had recent exhibitions and showings at NEXT / Art Chicago, Zhou B Art Center and Defibrillator. He is the recipient of a James Nelson Raymond Fellowship from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

MARISSA PEREL is a performance artist, writer and independent curator. Her work has shown internationally at such venues as MCA and Links Hall, Chicago, Dance Theater Workshop, NY and the D.I.V.O Institute, Czech Republic. Her exhibition, “For a long time all I could do was surrender” will open at Spoke Gallery on July 23. She is curator of the group show “SPLAY” at Roxaboxen Exhibitions, August 26-Sept.18. Perel’s writing is in the Art21 Blog, Bad at Sports, Time Out Chicago, Chicago Art Magazine and Tarpaulin Sky Literary Journal. She received her M.F.A from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and B.A. from Naropa University.

OLI RODRIGUEZ is an interdisciplinary artist working in video, photography and performance. His projects conceptually intersect and dialogue within consent, queerness, childhood and sexuality. Oli has screened, performed, lectured, curated and exhibited at institutions and museums such as, Schwarzer Kanal, Berlin, Germany, Smart Museum, University of Chicago, Co-Prosperity Sphere, Chicago IL, X Initiative Gallery, New York, NY, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, The Swimming Pool Project, Chicago, IL and Nightingale, Chicago, IL. Currently, he is a part of the Photography Department faculty at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received his BA from DePaul University and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

8.23 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Bob Lawrence feature

2011-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

August 2, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). August 23rd has Bob Lawrence as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

8.30 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Dave Gecic feature

2011-07-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

August 30, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). August 30th has Dave Gecic as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

8.09 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Ashley S.C. Wells feature

2011-07-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

August 2, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). August 9th has Ashley S.C. Wells as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

8.02 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Bill Yarrow feature

2011-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

August 2, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). August 2nd has Bill Yarrow as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

07/12 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

2011-07-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

July 12, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). July 12th has a mini-feature night, where throughout the open mic people can read up to 10 minutes of material. The last mini feature night was such a success (and so loved by the audience) that we are thrilled to do it again...

And all people who did NOT get a youtube video link of their mini-feature reading at the Cafe in the past even got a youtube video link of their reading!

Poets featured at the mini-feature night (all with video links at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/the-cafe/2011/07-12-11/07-12-11minis.htm) include Martin Altman, Michael Hoag, Bill Yarrow, New York poet Ice Gayle, Don Hargraves, Ashley S.C. Walls, and Janet Kuypers.

(If for any reason the website for the Cafe is down and you want to see the youtube videos of the poet performances, you can always go to http://www.youtube.com/ccandd96 and search from most recently uploaded videos to oldest videos to see all poetry uploads at the Cafe. You might also be able to find the poet performance by going to the main page at http://www.youtube.com and doing a search for the Author name and "the Cafe".)

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

07/19 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

2011-07-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

July 19, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). July 19th has a mini-feature night, where throughout the open mic people can read up to 10 minutes of material. The last mini feature night was such a success (and so loved by the audience) that we are thrilled to do it again...

And all people who did NOT get a youtube video link of their mini-feature reading at the Cafe in the past can even get a youtube video link of their reading!

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

7.26 the Cafe poetry open mic & Charlie Newman feature

2011-07-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

July 26, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). July 26th has Charlie Newman as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

July 5: Nerves of Steel

2011-07-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

THE2NDHAND was founded in Chicago in 2000 and features new short writing from working authors across the U.S. The broadsheet enjoys distribution of approx. 2500–3000 copies in several metropolitan regions via independent bookstores and affiliate organizations, and accompanies live reading series in Chicago, Nashville, and occasionally elsewhere. Since 2000, we’ve fostered an inclusive mix of seasoned practitioners, insurgent experimentalists, and wild-hare audiences with a perennial indie-lit favorite.
http://the2ndhand.com/THE2NDHANDTXT

Michael Czyzniejewski
http://www.michaelczyzniejewski.com

Jennifer Karmin with collaborators Dolly Lemke & Heather Momyer
http://aaaaaaaaaaalice.blogspot.com

James Kennedy
http://jameskennedy.com

the Puterbaugh Sisters
http://www.thecomedians.org/Pages/MAR09/Puterbaugh.asp

Good Evening
http://www.goodeveningmusic.com

Post-revolutionary Letdowns, music with kazoo

I Heart Woodland Pattern!

2011-06-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Woodland Pattern Book Center was founded as a non-profit organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Riverwest neighborhood by Anne Kingsbury and Karl Gartung in 1979. The center houses a bookstore with over 25,000 small press titles, in addition to an art gallery where they present exhibitions, artist talks, readings, experimental films, concerts, and writing workshops.

Due to the state budget cuts in Wisconsin, Woodland Pattern needs to raise an additional $48,500 in less than seven months. This means that NOW is an excellent time to visit, shop, and make a donation. Racine, Wisconsin poet Nick Demske has outlined some inspirational ideas here.

Tired of seeing arts funding getting cut in your state? Here are some talking points for your legislators:

The arts are central to healthy communities.
• Stimulate economic and community development.
• Educate our children to succeed in school and beyond.
• Beautify our neighborhoods.
• Attract tourists and out-of-town visitors.
• Make our cities and towns attractive and vibrant
places to live and work.
• Provide important social and creative outlets for all residents,
including seniors, those with disabilities, children and adults.
• Bring people of diverse backgrounds together in productive
and cooperative ways.
• People who are involved in the arts are also more civically engaged, they volunteer and they vote.

The arts build and sustain prosperity.
• Cities thrive, grow, attract and retain businesses when
the arts are supported.
• Arts and creativity education is proven to keep students in school,
increase high school graduation rates and prepare students for
college and for the careers of the 21st century.
• The new economy (insert your economic system here) requires a workforce that will be highly disciplined, collaborative, innovative, imaginative, creative and focused. These are the traits the arts teach.

June 25: Writing from the Streets

2011-06-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

June 24: Chicago Underground Library

2011-06-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's Alive! A Benefit for the Rebirth of Chicago Underground Library!
Join us for a belated 5th anniversary benefit featuring some of Chicago's best DJs (and writers!), a photobooth to show off your party hats, and a chance to win one of a dozen homemade birthday cakes in our cakewalk!

Friday, June 24, 9:00pm - 2:00am
at Beauty Bar

1444 W. Chicago Ave
$10 suggested donation / $5 minimum at door
21+ / RSVP on Facebook

Featuring Chicago culture writers/DJs:
Chess (UR Chicago)
David Drake (Pitchfork, Chicago Tribune)
Chelsea & Lauren (Stic-of-the-Week)
Photography by Glitter Guts

Sponsored by Printers' Ball & Curbside Splendor

A week before Chicago Underground Library’s 5th anniversary, the February blizzard blew in one of our windows, forcing us to shelve our snow-damaged party hats (read more about it in New City and Chicagoist). In the meantime, we've gone mobile with Pop Up Libraries, but we need your support to establish a new home. Come celebrate our belated birthday and help us get back on our feet.

In honor of Printers' Ball and the survival power of print, we want to see your best PAPER PARTY HAT. Whether it's a classic folded newspaper style, a giant origami crane or just a plain old cardboard cone, there can never be too many hats on the dancefloor. Best one wins a top secret prize!

Purchase advance tickets for a minimum donation of $10.00 (all online tickets are will call) here. All proceeds from the event benefit Chicago Underground Library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit . Donations will help support Structurally Sound Pop Up Libraries and our quest for a new space.

06.21 the Cafe poetry open mic & feature

2011-06-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

June 21, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). June 21st has Jessica Helen Lopez, Zachary Kluckman and Katrina Guarascio (from New Mexico, in their U.S. Poetry Traveling Tour) as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:BUDDHAPALOOZA

2011-06-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

7:30pm - 10:00pm

Cafe Ballou

939 N Western Ave.

W4tB Open Mic Night

Featuring: Buddah309

Open mic at the Bus Stop is proud and pleased to present,

Buddhapalooza

featured poet is David (Buddha309) Hargarten

theme is Esteban says.

W4tb member Esteban Colon will request open mic performers to do certain poetic things-If you want to play, contact Esteban through Facebook or at exactchangepress@gmail.com

special guest host Kristen LaTour

2011-06-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

POETRY READING: POETS EMBODYING ABSTRACTION

Sunday, June 19, 2011 / 2:00p.m.
Guest Curator: Lisa Fishman

Woman Made Gallery
685 N MILWAUKEE AVE

CHICAGO IL 60642

Featured Readers:

Benicia Blue
Judith Goldman
Kristin Ravel
Nicole Wilson
Lisa Fishman

Free & open to the public.

Red Rover Series / Experiment #47

2011-06-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #47:
The New Talkies

SATURDAY, JUNE 11th
8:30pm / doors lock 9pm
**please note change from usual time**

Featuring:
John Beer
Daniel Borzutzky
Krista Franklin
Judith Goldman
Carla Harryman
Konrad Steiner

Neo-benshi guest curated by Konrad Steiner
co-presented with the Chicago Poetry Project
and funded in part by Poets & Writers

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

JOHN BEER is the author of The Waste Land and Other Poems (Canarium, 2010), which won the Poetry Society of America's Norma Farber First Book Award. He lives in Chicago, where he writes about theater for Time Out.

DANIEL BORZUTZKY is the author of The Book of Interfering Bodies (Nightboat, 2011); The Ecstasy of Capitulation (BlazeVox, 2007) and Arbitrary Tales (Triple Press, 2005). He is the translator of Raúl Zurita's Song for his Disappeared Love (Action Books, 2010) and Jaime Luis Huenún's Port Trakl (Action Books, 2010). His work has been anthologized in, among others, A Best of Fence: The First Nine Years (Fence Books); Seriously Funny (University of Georgia Press, 2010); and Malditos Latinos Malditos Sudacas: Poesia Iberoamericana Made in USA (El billar de Lucrecia, 2010). Journal publications include Fence, Denver Quarterly, Conjunctions, Chicago Review, TriQuarterly, and many others. Chapbooks include Failure in the Imagination (Bronze Skull, 2007) and One Size Fits All (Scantily Class Press, 2009). He is a contributing editor to Mandorla: New Writing from the Americas. He lives in Chicago.

KRISTA FRANKLIN is a poet and visual artist from Dayton, OH who lives and works in Chicago. Her poetry and mixed medium collages have been published in lifestyle and literary journals such as Coon Bidness, Copper Nickel, RATTLE, Indiana Review, Ecotone, Clam and Callaloo, and in the anthologies Encyclopedia Vol. II, F-K and Gathering Ground. Her visual art has been featured on the covers of award-winning books, and exhibited nationally in solo and group exhibitions. Franklin is a Cave Canem Fellow, and a co-founder of 2nd Sun Salon, a community meeting space for writers, visual and performance artists, musicians and scholars.

JUDITH GOLDMAN is the author of Vocoder (Roof 2001), DeathStar/rico-chet (O Books 2006), "the dispossessions" (atticus/finch 2009), and l.b.; or, catenaries (Krupskaya 2011). She co-edited the annual journal War and Peace with Leslie Scalapino from 2005-2009 and currently edits a feature on contemporary innovative poetry for the e-journal Postmodern Culture. She is a Harper Schmidt Fellow and collegiate assistant professor at the University of Chicago, teaching in the arts humanities core and in creative writing. In fall 2011, she will be the Holloway Lecturer in the Practice of Poetry at University of California, Berkeley.

CARLA HARRYMAN is the author of fifteen books of poetry, plays, and prose. Her most recent works include a collection of conceptual and experimental essays Adorno’s Noise (Essay Press, 2008), the book length poem Open Box (Belladonna 2007), and a sequence of essays in The Grand Piano, a multi-authored serial work that locates its project in the San Francisco Bay Area writing scene between 1975-1980. The Wide Road, a novella in poetry and prose co-authored with Lyn Hejinian was just released from Belladonna Press. Recent performance works have emphasized polyvocal text, bilingualism, choral speaking voices, and music improvisation. She is co-editor of Lust for Life: On the Writings of Kathy Acker (Verso, 2006) and she is the special issue editor of “Non/Narrative” for the Journal of Narrative Theory (forthcoming, 2011). She serves on the creative writing faculty of the Department of English Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University and the MFA faculty of the Milton Avery School of the Arts.

KONRAD STEINER, filmmaker and independent curator, studied film at SAIC and Linguistics at Stanford University. Since 2003 he has produced events of live cinema collaborating with musicians and writers, as well as making single channel video and film.

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

06.28 the Cafe poetry open mic & feature

2011-06-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

June 28, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)
plus donation for the feature

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). June 28th has Lucia Blinn as the feature, following an open mic.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

06/14 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

2011-06-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

June 14, 8:30PM

The Cafe open mic
5115 N. Lincoln Ave.
$2 & 2 drink minimum (any drink, even bottled water or soda)

The Cafe (5115 N. Lincoln Ave.) hosts a weekly poetry/performance art open mic (hosted by Janet Kuypers). June 14th has a mini-feature night, where throughout the open mic people can read up to 10 minutes of material. The last mini feature night was such a success (and so loved by the audience) that we are thrilled to do it again... Everyone who came down to the Cafe for mini-feature night got to strut your stuff with youtube video links!

Poets featured at the mini-feature night (all with video links at http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/the-cafe/2011/06-14-11/06-14-11minis.htm) include Bob Rashkow, Tom Roby, Charlie Newman, Jenene Ravesloo, Bob Lawrence, Maureen Flannery, New York poet Ice Gayle, and Janet Kuypers.

For info about the open mic and the 2011 schedule (or getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature, or even to check out the menu for the great food at the Cafe, because we have a collection of books to choose from for anyone who orders food at the Cafe during the poetry evening), you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for weekly podcasts, feature videos or future schedules.

June 4 & 5: Printers Row Lit Fest

2011-06-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

"Reading Experiment in Progress"
an interactive performance
by Jennifer Karmin with collaborator Nick Demske

Saturday, June 4th
from 1-3pm
at the Printers Row Lit Fest
Chicago Publishers Gallery tent
location CC on the fest map

This weekend is the annual Printers Row Lit Fest, and Publishing Industry Programs is going to be there! We’re hosting the Chicago Publishers Gallery tent, which will showcase: 5th Wednesday Journal, ACM, Allium Press, Blacksmith Books, CityFiles Press, Contratiempo, Dancing Girl Press, Dream Chocolate, Haymarket Books, Lake Forest College &NOW Books, Light Quarterly, Loyola Press, NTI Upstream, OV Books, Polyphony HS, Socialist Worker, Switchback Books, Zeus Magazine, Red Rover Series, and more!

The Chicago Publishers Gallery tent that we are hosting will be at location CC, which is three booths in from the western Fest entrance on Polk. There will be lots of information about our programs as well as information about our 18 different publishers and books and chapbooks for sale.

June 3: The Dollhouse Reading Series

2011-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Dollhouse Reading Series presents

Daniel Borzutzky
Sarah Carson
Nick Demske
Sarah Fox

FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd

Doors 8pm / Reading 9pm

1850 W. Belle Plaine Ave, #3

Curated by Dolly Lemke

Bring 2-3 books to swap!

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:FEATURING NINA CORWIN

2011-06-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Mon, Jun 6

7:30pm - 10:00pm

Cafe Ballou

939 N Western Ave.

W4tB Open Mic Night

Cafe Ballou

939 N Western

7:30-10pm

Featuring: Nina Corwin

SUGGESTED THEME-MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA NITE

Flesh Wounds Now Available From Zombie Logic Press

2011-06-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

We have published a new book by poet Thomas L. Vaultonburg. It's available now at Zombie Logic Press

June 2: Jena Osman

2011-06-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 2nd
5 PM
University of Chicago
1050 East 59th Street
Wieboldt Hall, room 408

Jena Osman, author of The Network (Fence Books, 2009 National Poetry Series Winner), will give a reading sponsored by the Chicago Review and the Committee on Creative Writing & Program in Poetry and Poetics. There will be a reception afterwards.

"Like an archeologist of the American idiom, The Network brilliantly excavates the material remains and missing histories of our collective semantic strata. From the annual Philadelphia Mummers Parade and the Wall Street Financial District to the tragic 1845 Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin, Osman's poetic assemblages teach us 'how to map a changing thing' with grace, acumen, and a relentless documentary drive."

-- Mark Nowak

2011-05-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ullyses may have escaped the traps laid before him by the gods, but be never escapes Homer's grasp. And Candide has no one but Voltarie to thank for his outrageous luck. Only Augusto Perez discovers the true nature of the ficitonal universe, and quite by accident. He stumbles across his lord creator Miguel de Unamuno at work at his desk, writing the manuscript. No buring bushes, no pillars of salt. Just pen and ink.

Augusto, BOB RASHKOW

Domingo, R. JEROME GIBBONS

Eugenia, KRISTIN La TOUR

Ermelinda, PAM MILLER

Fermín, DAVID HARGARTEN

Maurice, ESTEBAN COLON

An old woman, PAM MILLER

Rosario, SARAH CARSON

Unamuno, BOB LAWRENCE

Víctor, WAYNE ALLEN JONES

Top Shelf Poets: The First Friday Series-Now in REAL TIME!!!!

2011-05-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series / Experiment #46

2011-05-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Red Rover Series
{readings that play with reading}

Experiment #46:
The Chicago-Denver Writers Exchange

SATURDAY, MAY 28th
7pm / doors lock 7:30

Featuring:
Serena Chopra
Michael Flatt
Derrick Mund
Oren Silverman
Nancy Stohlman

at Outer Space Studio
1474 N. Milwaukee Ave
suggested donation $4

logistics --
near CTA Damen blue line
third floor walk up
not wheelchair accessible

SERENA CHOPRA has been published in the Denver Quarterly, Fact-Simile, The Laurel Review, VOLT, No Tell Motel, Pax Americana, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, "Speaking to Your Man," was released in August 2010 by Peninsulas Now Press. Her latest chapbook, "Penumbra" will be released in August 2011 from Flying Guillotine Press. She is a Kundiman fellow, a former intern for The New Press, and a 95 cent skool student. She currently works with Writers in The Schools teaching poetry to Denver primary school children, and is a faculty member at the Boulder Writing Studio. Serena is the co-founder and curator of TitMouse Magazine and the founder of the TitMouse Writers Exchange. She teaches writing at Metropolitan State College in Denver.

MICHAEL FLATT's work has been published most recently by Fast Forward Press and 32 Poems. He publishes reviews of poetry and fiction at NewPages.com, and he has an article forthcoming in the fall from Samuel Beckett Today / Aujourd'hui. He currently lives in Denver where he works for Counterpath Press and Field Editorial.Before moving to Denver, Michael Flatt lived and studied and worked and loved and lost in Buffalo, NY. He was managing editor of SUNY Buffalo's undergraduate newspaper, The Spectrum, and sang in a hardcore band called ...By Exposure (ellipsis included). He's also lived in a farm town outside of Syracuse.

DERRICK MUND is from Michigan. He has a MFA from the University of Colorado. He is a co-publisher and editor of Peninsulas Now Press, a progressive publishing collective. His work has been published in a few places and hopefully more in the future. More interesting bios on derrick have been written by Caroline Davidon, Collin Shcuster, and a younger version of him.

OREN SILVERMAN lives in Denver and is a student in CU Boulder's MFA Program. He is the Managing Editor of Timber, and occasionally hosts readings in the Denver area.

NANCY STOHLMAN's include Searching for Suzi: a flash novel, Live From Palestine, and Fast Forward: The Mix Tape, which is currently a finalist for a 2011 Colorado Book Award in Literary Fiction. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in over 30 journals, magazines and anthologies, and she’s been featured in literary events in a dozen cities. She’s currently a writing professor in Denver.

RED ROVER SERIES is curated by Laura Goldstein and Jennifer Karmin. Each event is designed as a reading experiment with participation by local, national, and international writers, artists, and performers. The series was founded in 2005 by Amina Cain and Jennifer Karmin.

May 24: Laura Goldstein's Facts of Light

2011-05-23T09:53:00.001-07:00

Plumberries Press presents
a release party to celebrate the new chapbook
Facts of Light by Laura Goldstein

Tuesday, May 24th
from 8pm-12am

at Ball Hall
1621 N. Kedzie Ave #3

"Facts of Light" performed by Laura Goldstein
with Denise Dooley, Jennifer Karmin, Alex Marchut, Edwin R. Perry, Kg Price, Shannon Schmidt, Chelsea Tadeyeske & Luis Valadez

READING: "Fundamental" by Edwin R. Perry
VIDEOS: by Brett Balogh & Yoni Goldstein
DANCE: by Lab Dance
MUSIC: "I think I'm Turning Balinese" by Kg Price

Laura Goldstein's poetry, reviews and essays can be found in EAOGH, Requited, Little Red Leaves, How2, Seven Corners, Text/Sound, Rabbit Light Movies, Otoliths, CutBank Reviews and Moria, as well as this summer in American Letters and Commentary, She has two chapbooks: Ice in Intervals from Hex Press and Day of Answers from Tir Aux Pigeons and her newest chapbook, Let Her, will be coming out from Dancing Girl Press in Spring 2012. She currently co-curates the Red Rover reading series and teaches Writing and Literature at the School of the Art Institute and Loyola University.

May 22: Adam Farcus & Brandon Anschultz

2011-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 22 @ 1pm
free

The Hills Esthetic Center
128 N. Campbell Avenue
(near Lake & Western)

This reading/performance is in conjunction with the art exhibition, Ingredients for Humble Magic, by artists Brandon Anschultz and Adam Farcus. This exhibition and reading are two events in a series of exhibitions and happenings by residents from the 2010 session of ACRE (Artists' Cooperative Residency and Exhibitions).

Image above:

left side --
Brandon Anschultz
ACRE Painting
oil, canvas, staples and found wood
2010

right side --
Adam Farcus
Sentinels
cardboard, hot glue, clothes pins, colored pencil, and acrylic
2011

Elizabeth's Crazy Little Thing featuring Sid Yiddish on June 8, 2011

2011-05-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sid Yiddish is a semi-sweet kosher industrial poet-throat-singing radio broadcasting-Furby spy. He’s performed in tight spaces within the USA & Denmark & by web-cast in Norway, plus published poetry & prose in: Tomorrow, Children, Churches & Daddies, Flipside, Si Senor, Satyr, Urban Coaster, Magnetic Poetry-Book of Poetry, Poem800.com, Bardball.com & PoetrySuperHighway.com. From 1986 to 1991, he published the poetry fanzine, Cops Hate Poetry. In the past, he's worked diligently as an oddball actor, teacher, beat reporter & as Chicago coordinator for the Bathroom Poetry Project. He also served as President of Chicago Composers Forum. Besides solo performance, he regularly sits in with Adepetive Radiation,
Bukakke Birds, Candy Store Henchmen, Chicago Scratch Orchestra, Flabby Hoffman Trio & frequently collaborates with Danish punk band, Clean Boys & has been covered by Time Out, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, WGN Radio, Memphis Flyer & Yahoo Sports. In 2010, Sid toured Denmark with Clean Boys for the Skype-produced album, Safari Freakshow Adventure. In his spare time, Sid roots out crazy sounds by throat-singing & blowing his 10 Shofars to be in harmony with crows & Furbys worldwide. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.

Come join us for the open mic! Our theme will be "Jesus popsicles."

Wednesday, June 8, 10 pm

Phyllis' Musical Inn
1880 W Division
Chicago, Il 60622

May 20-22: To Art & Profit Festival

2011-05-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

TO ART & PROFIT:
Creative Labor, Collective Action & Conscientious Capitalism

Interdisciplinary performance series
arts-focused dialogues & street spectacles

Curated by Links Hall Artistic Associates
Abra Johnson & Meida McNeal

MAY 20-22
Come As You Are:
Re-Imagining Art with a Conscience

Collaborating Artists:
Silvita Diaz Brown, Nicole Garneau & Lani Montreal;
Nicole LeGette; The Ladies Ring Shout, Ayako Kato & David Boykin;
and with Special Guests Joel Valentin-Martinez & Liz Zastrow

PERFORMANCES
8pm Friday & Saturday
at Links Hall, 3435 N.Sheffield

COMMUNITY SPECTACLE & DISCUSSION
Sunday, May 22 from 2-5pm
at the Southside Community Art Center
3831 S. Michigan Avenue

With Panelists:

Henry Cervantes, Youth Peer Organizer at Telpochcalli Community Education Project

Roell Schmidt, Director, Links Hall

Lisa Biggs, Performer, playwright and director researching theatre programs for incarcerated women

Evin Marie, playwright and owner of The Maekeen Room

FATHOM DJ, Music Stylist and Producer

Discopoet Khari B., Poet, Arts Educator, Lead Member of The Rockstar Poetry Project

Janice Bond, Artist Representative and Brand Strategist at SAVANT|SAVANT

the chicago poetry calendar

W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Karin Zink

02/29/12 Sid Yiddish poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

02/15/12 Jason Covelli poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

02/01/12 Vittorio Carli poetry feature at "the Cafe Gallery" open mike at Gallery Cabaret!

Jan 29: The Human Micropoem @ the Art Inst

AWP Off-Site Event: Penguin Poets, Spoon River Poetry Review, and Seven Corners

Writing the Unexpected

Jan 16:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Dan Cleary

Feb. 3 Top Shelf poets presents:

Best New Poets at the Book Cellar

01/18 open mike at the newly-relocated "the Cafe Gallery" at Gallery Cabaret!

Friday Jan 6th:First Friday:Top Shelf Poets

Monday Jan 2:W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop

Dec 16: Requited Sound & Language Performance

Dec 14: The Danny's Reading Series

Saturday December 17th at Cafe Mestizo

Monday Dec. 19th:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Jan Bottiglieri

Dec 5th:W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop

Dec 4: Vanessa Place

Nov 30: Revolving Door Reading Series

W4tB tonight 11/21 with Bill Yarrow

Nov 19-20: Chicago Book Expo 2011

The Friday on Tuesday Showcase

Nov 12: Artifice Release Party

Nov 11: The Human Micropoem @ Occupy Chicago

12/11 poetry open mic at the Cafe, plus the Elizabeth Jacobson feature

11/20 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Janet Kuypers feature (with music from the HA!man of South Africa and blues musician John Yotko)

11/13 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Andrea Witzke Slot feature

11/08 poetry open mic at the Cafe and the Judith Wiker feature

Red Rover Series / Experiment #52

W4tB presents:open mic at the bus stop with Lauren Ashleigh Hermann

Top Shelf poets presents:

W4tB presents: The extra Monday show, Oct 31st

Oct 30: The Human Micropoem @ Occupy Chicago

The HA!man of South Africa 10/16/11 AIDS Awareness music show, Francois ...

The HA!man of South Africa 10/16/11 Chicago Seminary music show, Francoi...

Oct 18th at The Cafe

10/26 poetry open mic at the Cafe while the host is away... Enjoy the Kristin LaTour feature

October 17th at W4tB

10/18 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Esteban Colon feature

10/11 poetry open mic at the Cafe and open mike mini-feature night!

Long Now & Then

Oct 7: The Dollhouse Reading Series

W4tB presents: The extra Monday show, Oct 31st

Top Shelf poets presents:

Red Rover Series / Experiment #51

Sept 23: Douglas Kearney

Friday, September 23 at 7:00 PM

at the Poetry Foundation 61 W. Superior Street (Dearborn & Superior)

Sept 24: Bad Date America

Piano Rats

Sept 7: Collection & Cocktails

10/04 Chicago Calling the Cafe! Come watch Collaborative performances!

Aug 27: Sophie Robinson & Nathanaël

Red Rover Series / Experiment #49

12/04 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Charlotte Hart feature

11/27 poetry open mic at the Cafe, plus the Tom Roby & Jenene Ravesloot feature

09/06 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

09/13 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Rochelle Holt feature

08/16 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

Red Rover Series / fall 2011

Molly Malone's

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:

July 29: Printers' Ball

ECO Release Party with Jared Smith

August 1 @W4tB

W4tB presents Open Mic at the Bus Stop:

Red Rover Series / Experiment #48

8.23 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Bob Lawrence feature

8.30 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Dave Gecic feature

8.09 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Ashley S.C. Wells feature

8.02 poetry open mic at the Cafe and Bill Yarrow feature

07/12 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

07/19 mini feature night at the Cafe in Chicago!

7.26 the Cafe poetry open mic & Charlie Newman feature

July 5: Nerves of Steel

I Heart Woodland Pattern!

June 25: Writing from the Streets

June 24: Chicago Underground Library

at the Poetry Foundation
61 W. Superior Street
(Dearborn & Superior)