What Came After: An Evening of Poetry with Christopher Stewart and John McCarthy

Christopher Stewart’s latest book, What Came After is a poetic walk through grief, memory, and mental illness from a child perspective to adult understanding. It peers at life through the stain of poverty in the Midwest. In discussion with the author is John McCarthy, whose 2019 book, Scared Violent like Horses, offers a complementary perspective on childhood masculinity and coping with loss. Each author’s poetry crafting a different image, presenting a deeply moving but bitter contrast to the Rockwell image, we think we know.

These books complement one another so well. Each author will read from their perspective books and share in a discussion moderated in part by Guild Complex, Executive Director, Andrea Change.

**We ask that all in-person attendees wear masks in the event space during the program for the health and well-being of the speakers and other guests. We will have a reception afterwards with light refreshments and books available for purchase.**

Christopher Stewart is co-author (with Quraysh Ali Lansana) of The Walmart Republic (Mongrel Empire Press) and has been recently published in Bryant Literary Review, Oakwood, The Perch, Connecticut River Review, and others. His new book, What Came After (The Calliope Group) is out now and the focus of this event. His work frequently addresses themes around mental illness and recovery. He was a 2022 finalist for Steve Kowit Poetry Prize and a 2023 finalist for the Iowa Review Award.

John McCarthy is the author of Scared Violent Like Horses (Milkweed Editions, 2019), which was selected by Victoria Chang as the winner of the Jake Adam York Prize. He is also the author of one previous poetry collection, Ghost County (Midwestern Gothic Press, 2016), which was named a Best Poetry Book of 2016 by The Chicago Review of Books. John’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in many journals, including 32 Poems, Alaska Quarterly Review, Best New Poets, Cincinnati Review, Copper Nickel, Gettysburg Review, Ninth Letter, North American Review, Pleiades, Quarterly West, and TriQuarterly. He currently lives in Evanston, Illinois and is the Managing Editor of RHINO Poetry.

This event is organized by the Guild Complex in collaboration with Haymarket Books.