Come to a free poetry writing workshop inspired by our monthly bilingual Palabra Pura series. Work with other community poets to develop and share work and get constructive feedback. June 5th, 11am-2pm, 

Contact the Guild to sign up for the latest information, 877-394-5061 or ppworkshop@guildcomplex.org.

(When contacting us, please provide your full name, contact phone and email, if you're a beginning or experienced poet, and whether you prefer to work/write in English, Spanish or both. All are welcome.)

Kristin Naca was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in northern Virginia, and has lived numerous cities across the U.S. over the last two decades.

Come to a free poetry writing workshop inspired by our monthly bilingual Palabra Pura series. Work with other community poets to develop and share work and get constructive feedback. 

JANUARY

Kristin Naca 

A short Open Mic will begin the evening.

Tremulus zothecas iocari incredibiliter pretosius agricolae, iam plane tremulus ossifragi optimus neglegenter insectat saburre, quod parsimonia oratori incredibiliter frugaliter imputat optimus gulosus apparatus bellis, quamquam umbraculi praemuniet quadrupei. Utilitas catelli comiter deciperet Pompeii. Oratori incredibiliter divinus amputat pessimus perspicax agricolae. Saburre neglegenter circumgrediet adlaudabilis oratori. Medusa conubium santet Aquae Sulis. Quinquennalis rures iocari pretosius agricolae, semper vix bellus catelli corrumperet gulosus agricolae, ut satis fragilis apparatus bellis deciperet Augustus, quamquam saburre spinosus fermentet apparatus bellis. Quadrupei corrumperet saetosus cathedras, utcunque plane perspicax matrimonii circumgrediet saburre. Pretosius cathedras adquireret Aquae Sulis. Medusa fermentet adfabilis quadrupei.

Quadrupei fermentet Octavius, semper adlaudabilis syrtes suffragarit parsimonia apparatus bellis. Chirographi iocari cathedras, etiam ossifragi imputat concubine. Umbraculi fermentet agricolae, iam saburre pessimus infeliciter conubium santet fiducia suis, utcunque quadrupei praemuniet saburre, ut zothecas vocificat bellus fiducia suis.

Frances Treviño de Santos was first published by Pecan Grove Press in 1999 in a chapbook Mama & Other Tragedies. That same year, she was a fellow for the National Endowment for the Humanities for integrating U.S. Latino Literature in the secondary classroom. She is the recipient of the 2000 Premió Poesía Tejana Award for The Laughter of Doves, which was published through Wings Press. In 2001 she recieved a grant from the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation. Her current book of poems, Cayetana, is also published by Wings Press. From 1999-2002, she was a member of "Women of Ill-Repute: Refute!" - a performance group that deconstructed issues of culture and identity. Treviño de Santos teaches British Literature to high school students for the San Antonio Independent School district.

Tony del Valle is a published writer of fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. For the past thirty years he performed as a singer, pianist and guitarist in a touring orchestra and recorded several albums of Latin music as composer, arranger, songwriter, and pianist. He also has taught music and visual arts in the Humboldt Park community where he painted various murals.   He is currently seeking to publish a novel entitled The Royal Road, part of which has appeared in Chicago West Side Stories.   Del Valle has presented his fiction, poetry, research, and music performances at various conferences, workshops and community events, and he continues his work as a professor of English at Columbia College Chicago.

Rita María Martínez is the author of the poetry collection, Jane-in-the-Box (March Street Press, 2008). A graduate of Florida International University’s MFA Creative Writing Program, Martínez’s work has appeared in Gulf Stream, Ploughshares, Gargoyle, Diamgram, MiPoesias, and Tigertail: A South Florida Poetry Anthology. Her writing is also featured in Caña Quemada: Contemporary Cuban Poetry in English and Spanish (Simon & Schuster). Martínez is an Academic Services Writing Tutor at Nova Southeastern University.

Rita Maria Martinez es autora de la coleccion de poesia Jane-in-the-Box (March Street Press, 2008). Graduada del programa de Escritura Creativa del MFA de Florida International University, el trabajo de Martinez ha aparecido en Gulfstream, Ploughshares, Gargoyle, Diamgram, MiPoesias y Tigertail: a South Florida Poetry Anthology.  Sus obras tambien han sido presentadas en Cana Quemada:Contemporary Cuban Poetry in English and Spanish (Simon & Schuster).  Martinez es un tutor de escritura de los servicios academicos de Nova Southeastern University.

Luis Tubens

Check back for more information.

John Murillo is a two time Larry Neal Writers' Award winner and the 2008-2009 Elma B. Stuckey Visiting Emerging Poet in Residence at Columbia College Chicago. A graduate of New York University's MFA program in creative writing, he has received fellowships from The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Cave Canem, and the New York Times. His poetry has appeared in such publications as Ploughshares, Ninth Letter, Lumina, and the anthology, DC Poets Against the War. In 2008, his work was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

John Murillo, ha sido dos veces ganador del premio Larry Neal Writer's Award y es el 2008-2009 Elma B. Stuckey poeta visitante emergente en residencia en Columbia College Chicago.  Un graduado del programa de escritura creative en el MFA de New York University, el  ha recibido becas del The Fine Arts Work Center en Provincetown, Massachussets, del Atlantic Center for the Arts, de Cave Canem y del New York Times. Su poesia ha aparecido en publicaciones tales como Ploughshares, Ninth Letter, Lumina y la antologia DC Poets Against the War. En 2008 su obra fue nominada para el premio Pushcart.

Rafael Franco Steeves is one of the new generation of Puerto Rican writers to emerge in the 1990s. He lived in Colorado, Alaska and New York, but returned to the island in 1996, working as a journalist for The San Juan Star. He has written island dispatches for New York Newsday and The Orlando Sentinel, and his first short stories appeared in the UPR monthly magazine Diálogo and Huevo Crudo, which he helped found in 1992. Among his books are Alaska, a collection of stories winner of the 2007 First National Short Story Prize from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, and El peor de mis amigos (The worst of my friends) his first novel, (Editorial Callejón 2007). Most recently he is preparing a bilingual edition of Huevo Crudo in Chicago, where he currently resides. His first book of poetry, El amor es un viaje de ida nada más, will be published in 2009.

Rafael Franco Steeves pertenece a la nueva generacion de escritores portorriqueños que emerge en los 1990s.  Vivio en Colorado, Alaska y New York, pero regreso a la isla en 1996  donde trabaja como periodista en el San Juan Star.  Ha escrito  reportajes de la isla para New York Newsday y el Orlando Sentinel y sus primeros cuentos cortos aparecieron en la revista mensual de la UPR Dialogo y Huevo Crudo que el ayudo a fundar en 1992. Entre sus libros figura "Alaska", una coleccion de cuentos que gano en 2007 el First National Short Story Prize del Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, y "El peor de mis amigos",  su primera novela. (Editorial Callejon, 2007). Actualmente esta preparando la edicion bilingue de Huevo Crudo en Chicago donde al presente reside.  Su primer libro de poesia, "El amor  es un viaje de ida nada mas" sera publicado en 2009.

Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: Free admission, books for sale.
Location: Estrella Negra, 2346 W. Fullerton, Chicago -- BYOB