BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Guild Literary Complex - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Guild Literary Complex X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://guildcomplex.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Guild Literary Complex REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20110313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20111106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20120311T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20121104T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20130310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20131103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20140309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20141102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20150308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20151101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20160313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20161106T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20150218T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20150218T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20150117T152901Z LAST-MODIFIED:20150211T163151Z UID:2900-1424287800-1424293200@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Urban Realities/Realidades urbanas DESCRIPTION:Chicago is a complicated place\, a city where senseless acts of violence and random acts of kindness happen every day\, where some can dare to dream and others dream of escaping their nightmares. Luis Tubens and young poets from Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School will lead us in an exploration of the urban realities that affect the daily lives and future destinies of those who make Chicago their home. \nThis month’s Palabra Pura is curated by Mary Hawley. Arrive early to sign up for the open mic. \nPalabra Pura is pay-what-you-can ($5 suggested donation). Audience contributions support honorariums for the curators and featured authors. \nClick here to RSVP on Facebook. \n  \nABOUT OUR FEATURE \n \nLuis Tubens (Logan Lu) is a Chicago born Puerto Rican poet. His narrative poems depict the gritty ambiance of the inner-cityscape while describing reflective personal experiences. He draws inspiration from the urban realities of the developing Latino diaspora and from his observations of proletarian struggles. His interactive style and hyper performance invite the crowd to be active participants in his performance. \n  \nABOUT OUR CURATOR \nMary Hawley is the author of Double Tongues\, a poetry collection\, and co-translator of the bilingual poetry anthology Astillas de luz/Shards of Light\, both published by Tía Chucha Press. She works as a freelance writer\, editor\, and translator\, and has been involved for many years with the Guild Complex’s Palabra Pura bilingual reading series. Her poems have appeared in journals and anthologies such as The Bloomsbury Review\, Mudlark\, contratiempo\, Notre Dame Review\, and Power Lines: A Decade of Poetry from Chicago’s Guild Complex. \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-february-2015/ LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20150121T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20150121T213000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20150116T220237Z LAST-MODIFIED:20150120T155614Z UID:2899-1421868600-1421875800@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: One Poet One Poem (Stories too!) 10 year anniversary kickoff party! DESCRIPTION:The Guild Literary Complex is pleased to kick off the 10th season of PALABRA PURA with “One Poet / One Poem”. Don’t let the name fool you—there will be fiction stories too!2015 guest curators reveal their plans and past readers share a poem (or short story) during this annual party celebrating poetry and fiction in more than one tongue. Contributing authors include: \nEduardo Arocho | Emmanuel Ayala | Beatriz Badikian | Alex Bonner | Marta Collazo | Jan Peña Davis | Raúl Dorantes | Rafael Franco-Steeves | Stephanie Gentry-Fernández | Juana Goergen | Nora León | Mark Litwicki | Miguel López Lemus | Olivia Maciel | Elizabeth Marino | Miguel Marzana | Yolanda Nieves | Coya Paz | Mike Puican | Martha Cecilia Rivera | Luis Tubens | Febronio Zatarain | and more! \nThere will be plenty of essential liquids at the bar—and CAKE! \nThe event is free + donations are welcome! Oh\, and it’s a cash bar\, but the cake is on us. \nMore information at guildcomplex.org. \n\n Click here to RVSP/Share on Facebook.Due to the number of readers for the party\, there will be no open mic. The open mic will return in February. \n*** \nABOUT PALABRA PURA\nThe Guild’s night of poetry and community\, curated by and spotlighting Chicago’s most powerful voices in the Chicano and Latino communities. Palabra Pura takes place on the third Wednesday of every month (except August and December). URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-one-poet-one-poem-stories-too-10-year-anniversary-kickoff-party/ LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20141119T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20141119T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20140617T193729Z LAST-MODIFIED:20141105T155646Z UID:2660-1416425400-1416430800@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: From the Margins of the Margins DESCRIPTION:In response to the hangover from colonialism still lingering in the United States\, a new literary space has been carved out where historically marginalized bodies\, narratives and histories finally have their say; it has been named “Latino/a literature”. What happens\, though\, when some of the loudest voices inhabiting that space reproduce the very conditions they are supposed to be subverting? Who counters the oppressed who have taken up the business of oppression? Two uprisings come to mind: Daniel Borzutzky and Justin Petropoulos. The work of these writers forces us to confront an uncomfortable but essential question: is Latino/a poetry a viable\, subversive political logic\, or is it merely a marketing strategy already co-opted and rendered ineffective in the face of capitalism? \nAn open mic is included in the event. For the Facebook event page\, click here. \nCo-sponsored by the following departments at Northwestern University: Poetry and Poetics Colloquium; the Latina/o Studies Program; the Department of Spanish & Portuguese; and the Center for the Writing Arts.\n \n  \nAbout the Artists:\n  \nDaniel Borzutzky‘s books include In the Murmurs of the Rotten Carcass Economy (Nightboat\, forthcoming); The Book of Interfering Bodies (Nightboat\, 2011); The Ecstasy of Capitulation (BlazeVox\, 2007); and Arbitrary Tales (Ravenna Press\, 2005). His poetry translations include include Raúl Zurita’s The Country of Planks (forthcoming\, Action Books); Song for his Disappeared Love (Action Books\, 2010); and Jaime Luis Huenún’s Port Trakl (Action Books\, 2008). His chapbooks include Data Bodies (Green Lantern\, 2013); Bed Time Stories for the End of the World! (Bloof Books\, forthcoming); One Size Fits All (Scantily Clad\, 2009); and Failure in the Imagination (Bronze Skull\, 2007). His writing has been anthologized in Angels of the Americlypse: New Latin@ Writing; Telephone Books Anthology of English-to-English Translations of Shakespeare Sonnets; La Alteración del Silencio: Poesía Norteamericana Reciente; Malditos Latinos Malditos Sudacas: Poesia Iberoamericana Made in USA; Seriously Funny: Poems About Love\, God\, War\, Art\, Sex\, Madness\, and Everything Else; A Best of Fence: The First Nine Years; and The City Visible: Chicago Poetry for the New Century. His writing has been translated into Spanish\, French\, Bulgarian\, Romanian and Turkish. His work has been recognized by grants from the PEN American Center\, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council. \n  \n \nJustin Petropoulos is the author of two collections of poetry\, Eminent Domain (Marsh Hawk Press 2011)\, selected by Anne Waldman for the 2010 Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize and     (Jaded Ibis Press 2013)\, a collaborative work with multimedia artist\, Carla Gannis. His poems have appeared in American Letters & Commentary\, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review\, Columbia Poetry Review\, Crab Creek Review\, Gulf Coast\, Mandorla\, Portland Review\, and Spinning Jenny. Justin is a contributing editor for Entropy magazine and the program director of an after-school program for at-risk\, elementary age children. He is also an adjunct faculty member at New Jersey City University\, where he teaches composition and creative writing. \n  \n  \nAbout the Curator:\nPaul Martinez Pompa is the author of My Kill Adore Him (University of Notre Dame Press 2009) and is a recent recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award. He teaches composition and poetry at Triton College and lives in the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nAbout our Co-Sponsors:\n  \n \n  \n  \n  \nThe Poetry & Poetics Colloquium is the principal forum for cross-disciplinary\, transhistorical scholarship on poetics at Northwestern University\, as well as a collection of arts initiatives that support the practice of poetry on campus and beyond. Founded in 2009\, the consortium regularly convenes a group of core faculty and graduate students who share an interest in the long and varied traditions of poetry and poetics across languages and historical eras. http://poetry.northwestern.edu \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThe Latina and Latino Studies Program at Northwestern University engages in teaching\, research\, and service activities that represent current production of knowlege about Latina/o communities in the United States. It aims at building bridges with the diverse departments that are collectively working toward ameliorating social and political inequalities of Latino Chicago by holding public events in the pertinent communities. It ultimately seeks to embrace heterogeneous identities\, socioeconomic status\, racial\, national\, and generational differences\, among others. http://www.latinostudies.northwestern.edu \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThe Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Northwestern University blends a community of scholars\, whose strong research interests range across Spanish\, Latin American and Latino literatures and cultures\, and a community of instructors\, who are dedicated to teaching a strong culture-based language program. Our faculty offers a rich array of courses in Spanish\, Portuguese\, and English and serves not only Weinberg College but all Northwestern’s schools. http://www.spanish-portuguese.northwestern.edu/ \n  \nThe Center for the Writing Arts at Northwestern sponsors undergraduate creative writing and literary courses\, brings distinguished visiting writers to campus\, presents and co-sponsors university-wide public events focused on writing\, advocates for the centrality of writing in undergraduate education\, and assists the MA/MFA in Creative Writing. http://www.northwestern.edu/writing-arts URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-curated-by-paul-martinez/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140716T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140716T213000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20140428T161815Z LAST-MODIFIED:20140715T165756Z UID:2601-1405539000-1405546200@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Lost and Found DESCRIPTION:Lost & Found: Letters\, Poems\, and Marginalia of Cross Cultural Experience \nThis evening\, Palabra Pura will travel to Mexico City\, Korea\, and Haiti via our writers to explore the Cross Cultural Experiences of a Dancer\, an Educator\, and a Poet. Curated by Maribel Mares. \nAbout the Artists\n \n  \nDarren Angle is a poet living in Chicago. His work has appeared in LIT and BOMB. He received degrees from Macalester College and Brown University\, where he won a Weston Fine Arts Award and was an Adele K. Seaver Fellow in Creative Writing. Darren will share poetry inspired by his time in Haiti along with a slideshow of photos. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \n  \n  \nMayra Jimenez is a Mexican-American Educator living in Korea; a world traveler\, a connoisseur of cultures and human behavior; She is an educator as well as student striving for social justice. A collector of the five senses\, she loves cooking\, writing\, film\, and exploring the natural world. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \n  \nYesika Perez was born and raised in the Mexico City (Tenochtitlan). She began dancing the age of 5 years; she studied Dance at the National Institute of Fine arts (INBA) in Mexico City.  She is the owner of her own business in Chicago. Amongst other things\, she was bartender\, street sweeper\, and a vendor in a street market. A proud single mother\, a free spirit\, she acts as a stabilizer of emotions\, a healer to friends\, family\, and anyone she encounters! We find her this night in Chicago\, lost and found in her circling root system.  \n  \n  \n  \nAbout the Curator\nMaribel Mares is an author\, educator\, and organizer. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a founding member of the Division Collective\, a salon series featuring emerging writers\, artists\, musicians\, architects\, designers\, and thinkers. She is also the co-creator of Kid City Chicago. She is a Latina Writer from the Southwest side of Chicago\, exploring the cultural and regional identity of Mexican American families. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-curated-by-maribel-mares/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140416T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140416T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20140221T162651Z LAST-MODIFIED:20140409T142704Z UID:2457-1397676600-1397682000@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura\, curated by Eduardo Arocho DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, April 16\n7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.\nLa Bruquena\, upstairs\n2726 W. Division St. \nFrom left to right: Laurie Ann Guerrero\, Eduardo Arocho (curator)\, Rich Villar.\nFirst Class: Celebrating the first full-collections of poetry by two emerging Latino Poets: Rich Villar\, author of Comprehending Forever\, and Laurie Ann Guerrero\, author of A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying. Curated by poet Eduardo Arocho.\nThis program is co-presented with the Poetry Foundation. \nABOUT THE READERS\nLaurie Ann Guerrero was born and raised in the South Side of San Antonio\, she received the Academy of American Poets Prize\, among others\, at Smith College. Winner of the 2012 Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize\, her first full-length collection\, A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying\, selected by Francisco X. Alarcón\, was released by University of Notre Dame Press in 2013. Guerrero’s poetry and critical work have appeared in Huizache\, Texas Monthly\, Bellevue Review\, Women’s Studies Quarterly\, Global City Review\, Texas Observer\, Chicana/Latina Studies\, Feminist Studies\, and others. Guerrero holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature from Smith College and an MFA in poetry from Drew University. Guerrero’s chapbook\, Babies under the Skin (2008)\, won the Panhandler Publishing Award\, chosen by Naomi Shihab Nye. A CantoMundo fellow and member of the Macondo Writers’ Workshop\, Guerrero’s work has been highlighted in the LA Review of Books\, The Poetry Foundation/Harriet Blog\, and Poets & Writers Magazine in which she was named one of ten top-emerging poets in 2013. Other honors include fellowships from the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award Foundation and the Artist Foundation of San Antonio. Guerrero has served on the faculty at Palo Alto College\, University of the Incarnate Word\, University of Texas-El Paso\, and Gemini Ink\, a community-centered literary arts organization in San Antonio. She where she is a visiting writer at Our Lady of the Lake University. \nRich Villar is a writer originally from Paterson\, New Jersey. He directs Acentos\, an organization fostering audiences and community around Latino/a literature. He has been quoted on Latino literature and culture by both The New York Times and the Daily News\, and his poetry and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in Black Renaissance Noire\, Hanging Loose\, Beltway Poetry Quarterly\, and Sou’wester. His first collection\, COMPREHENDING FOREVER\, is forthcoming in 2014 from Willow Books. \nABOUT THE CURATOR\nEduardo Arocho was born and raised in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood where he currently resides.He is the author of six self-published chapbooks of poetry including: Highway Island  (2008)\, The 4th Tassel (2006)\, Poems Behind The Máscara (2002). His latest collection of poetry is Hot Wings (2013). His poems have also been published in Cantologia I: El Amor (Palabra Pura Poets) by Pandora Lobo Estepario Press\, Chicago 2013\,  El CENTRO JOURNAL\, Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College\, New York\, NY\, (2001)\, Power Lines: Anthology by Tia Chucha Press\, (2000); and Open Fist: Anthology of Young Illinois Poets by Tia Chucha Press\, (1993). A graduate of Spertus College of Nonprofit Management\, with a Masters of Science in Human Services Administration\, he is currently completing work on his forthcoming collection of poems Nacio Maestro. \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-april/ LOCATION:IL CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140319T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140319T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20131226T193757Z LAST-MODIFIED:20140702T160201Z UID:2386-1395255600-1395262800@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Noche de novelas II / Night of Novels II (Story Week edition) DESCRIPTION:Noche de novelas II— Story Week Edition\nWednesday\, March 19\, 7:00 p.m.\nHumboldt Park Fieldhouse\, 1400 N. Humboldt Dr.  (North of Division) \nHosted by Juana Iris Goergen with readings by Raúl Dorantes and Fernando Olszanski\, and featuring Valeria Luiselli—as a part of Story Week 2014 with Columbia College’s Creative Creative Writing Department. In this month’s Palabra Pura\, authors read excerpts of their novels in Spanish\, with English supertitles. See and hear the compelling work of these acclaimed authors through a truly bilingual experience. The event is hosted by Juana Iris Goergen\, and music will be provided by Bianca Lisa Araujo. \nFeatured Writer: Valeria Luiselli\nValeria Luiselli\n\nValeria Luiselli was born in Mexico City in 1983 and grew up in South Africa. Her novels and essays have been translated into many languages\, and her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times\,Granta\, and McSweeney’s. Some of her recent projects include a ballet libretto for the choreographer Christopher Wheeldon\, performed by the New York City Ballet in Lincoln Center in 2010; a pedestrian sound installation for the Serpentine Gallery in London; and a novella in installments for workers in a juice factory in Mexico. She lives in New York City. \n\n\n  \n  \n  \n\n  \nAbout the Participants:\n \nRaul Dorantes was born in Queretaro\, Mexico\, in 1968. He immigrated to the city of Chicago at the end of 1986. Since then\, he has been an active editorial board member of several literary magazines: Fe de Erratas\, Zorros y Erizos\, Tropel\, and Contratiempo. In 2007\, together with Febronio Zatarain\, he published a collection of essays titled Y nos vinimos de mojados with a prologue written by a well known Mexican author Carlos Montsivais. As a playwright\, Raul Dorantes has created numerous plays some of those have been put on stage; two of them by Aguijon Theater Company: Hasta los gorriones dejan su nido (2008) and El lunes de Leon Rodriguez (2009). In 2010\, his play De camino al ahorita was awarded the second prize of the national competition Nuestras Voces organized by New York based theater company Repertorio Español. Currently\, Dorantes works as a professor of Latin American literature at St. Augustine College. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \nFernando Olszanski was born in Buenos Aires\, Argentina. He is the author of the novel Rezos de marihuana (Marihuana Prayers)\, The book of short stories El orden natural de las cosas (The Natural Order of Things) which was awarded with the second place in the International Latino Book Award for Best Popular Fiction in 2011\, the poetry collection Parte del polvo (Part of the Dust)\, and is also co-editor of the the anthology América Nuestra\, Anthology of Narrative in Spanish in the United States. As a visual artist\,  he has participated in exhibitions in the US\, Japan\, and Argentina. He is also Chief Editor of the Revista Consenso\, of the Northeastern Illinois University. He holds a Master in Education from Dominican University. He has lived in Scotland\, Ecuador\, Japan\, and currently lives in Chicago. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nAbout the Host:\nJuana Iris Goergen (Puerto Rico). Poet. Professor of Spanish\, Latin American/U.S. Latino Literature and Peace Studies at DePaul University\, Chicago. As a poet she has published La sal de las brujas (finalist of Letras de Oro and published by Betania 1997) and  La piel a medias (2001)\,  Las Ilusas/Dreamers (Vocesueltas\, 2008) as well as poems published in anthologies: Astillas de luz/Shards of Light (1998)\, Nosotros los otros (1996) Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el corazón y la tierra (2001)\, Generación (2001) among others. She is the editor of the anthologies: Susurros para disipar las sombras (2011) and Rapsodia de los sentidos (2012) (Erato ediciones\, Poesía en abril International Poetry Festival V & VI). She founded and co-organizes in Chicago\, Poesía en abril: International Poetry Festival in Spanish. She has two unpublished poetry collections: La celda de Lilith and ContraOda al sueño americano. At present she is working in another poetry manuscript Mar en los huesos. \nThis event is produced in partnership with Columbia College’s Story Week and presented in special collaboration with Chicago Park District. This program is made possible by a generous grant from The Chicago Community Trust. \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nCity of Chicago\nRahm Emanuel\, Mayor\nChicago Park District\nBoard of Commissioners\nMichael P. Kelly\, General Superintendent & CEO URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-noche-de-novelas-ii-night-of-novels-ii-story-week-edition/ LOCATION:Humboldt Park Field House\, 1440 N Humboldt Drive\, Chicago CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura,Story Week 2014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140219T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140219T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20131226T165110Z LAST-MODIFIED:20131226T195347Z UID:2359-1392838200-1392843600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Greater Than The Sum Of Parts DESCRIPTION:“As Latin@s born and bred in the U.S.\, our sense of identity\, culture\, mother tongue and family are often complicated and contradictory. We are not a uniform group and sometimes don’t play well with others – even with our own gente. Yet on our life’s journey\, aided by our writing\, we find the integrity as individuals to stand firmly in self-definition\, unafraid to acknowledge those aspects of ourselves that make our antepasados shudder with aversion. February’s Palabra Pura presents work by fearless\, complex\, authentic voices that deny the easy definitions we are often thrust into as 21st Century Latin@s.” ~ Teresa Vázquez\, February Palabra Pura curator and host \nl to r: Emmanuel Ortiz\, Lucrecia Guerrero\, Elizabeth Marino\, Paul Martínez-Pompa\, Teresa Vázquez\nGuest authors include: Lucrecia Guerrero and Emmanuel Ortiz from Indiana\, and Elizabeth Marino and Paul Martínez-Pompa from Chicago. \n  \nABOUT THE ARTISTS \nLucrecia Guerrero grew up on the U.S./Mexico border in a bilingual and bicultural home.  Both her mother\, from Kentucky\, and her father\, from Puebla\, Mexico\, were proud of their respective cultures and shared that with Guerrero and her siblings.  Her short stories have been published in literary journals such as “The Antioch Review” and “The Louisville Review\,” and have been anthologized in Fasntastmas: Supernatural Stories by Mexican-American Writers (Bilingual Press) and Best of the West 2009 (U of Texas Press).  Chasing Shadows\, her collection of linked short stories was published by Chronicle Books\, and Bilingual Press/Arizona State U. published her novel Tree of Sighs.  Her novel received a Christopher Isherwood Fellowship and the Premio Aztlán Literary Award.  She leaves and teaches in the Midwest. \nElizabeth Marino is a Puerto Rican poet and educator\, based in Chicago. Her chapbook\, Debris: Poems and Memoir\, went into a second printing (Puddin’head Press 2011). She was awarded Hispanic Serving Institution funding from NEIU for her Latina/o Community Creative Non-Fiction Workshop and received a 2012 CAAP grant and conference scholarship to attend the initial Las Dos Brujas Writers’ Workshops\, where she studied with Juan Philipe Herrera\, poet laureate of California. She was a Ragdale resident and holds an MA from UIC’s Writers’ Program in addition to having studied literature at Oxford University on academic scholarship. Elizabeth’s poetry has appeared in print journals\, anthologies and live performance. Currently\, she is working on a second chapbook\, Ceremonies(forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press)\, and conducts a creative writing workshop for GLBTT seniors at The Center on Halsted. Most recently\, her work was given a critical review in Femficatio (London)\, and also appeared in the national Latino blog of culture and literature “La Bloga\,” along with the FB page “Poets Responding to SB 1070.” \nPaul Martínez-Pompa\, English Faculty-Triton College is the author of Pepper Spray (Momotombo Press 2006) and My Kill Adore Him (University of Notre Dame Press 2009)\, which was awarded the 2008 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. \nEmmanuel Ortiz is a Latino writer and community organizer. He is a founding member of Palabristas: Latin@ Wordslingers\,  – a Latina/o poets collective based in Minnesota. He has authored 2 books of poetry: The Word Is a Machete: Post-Pocho/Puerto Rican Poems of the Personal and Political (Pocho Rican Press\, 2003)\, and Brown unLike Me: Poems From The Second Layer Of Our Skin (2008\, Calaca Press). He received the Verve Grant for spoken word poets in 2005. His writing has appeared in numerous publications\, and he has performed his work across the country. \nTeresa Vázquez (curator) released “Audio Chapbook 001: A Woman Loving” in 2000.  She appears in March Abrazo Press’s Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el corazón y la tierra. She holds a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from Oberlin College\, and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. \n  \nABOUT PALABRA PURA \nPalabra Pura promotes literary expression in more than one tongue through a monthly bilingual poetry reading featuring Chicano and Latino artists. With an aim to foster dialogue through literature in Chicago and beyond\, many evenings pair a local poet with a visiting writer along with an open mic to engage the interaction of diverse voices\, ideas\, and aesthetics. The readings are held the third Wednesday of every month (except August and December). \n  \nPARTNERS \nStory Week\, a program of Columbia College Chicago \nChicago Community Trust URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-greater-than-the-sum-of-parts/ LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura,Story Week 2014 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20140115T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20140115T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20131220T194444Z LAST-MODIFIED:20140115T172155Z UID:2350-1389814200-1389819600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:PALABRA PURA: “ONE POET / ONE POEM” DESCRIPTION:The Guild Literary Complex is pleased to kick off the ninth season of PALABRA PURA with “One Poet / One Poem”. \n2014 guest curators reveal their plans and past readers share a poem during this annual party celebrating poetry (and fiction) in more than one tongue. Contributing authors include: \nRey Andújar  |  Beatriz Badikian  |  Alexander Bonner  |  Cristina Correa  |  Raúl Dorantes  |  Jorge García de la Fe  |  Juana Goergen  | Dawn Herrera Helphand  |  Kolin Jordan  |  Nora Leon  |  Mark Litwicki  |  Olivia Maciel  |  Maribel Mares  |  Jennifer Patiño  |  Martha Cecilia Rivera  |  Martin Rubio  |  Beatriz Ruiz  |  Denise Ruiz  |  Xenia Ruiz  |  Jacob Saenz  |  Erika Sánchez  |  Sandra Santiago  |  Rafael Franco Steeves  |  Luis Tubens  |  Johanny Vázquez Paz  |  om ulloa  |  Febronio Zatarain \nThere will be a buffet of delicious Puerto Rican food prepared by our generous hosts at La Bruquena\, and plenty of essential liquids at the cash bar. \nClick here to share on Facebook. \n*** \nPalabra Pura promotes literary expression in more than one tongue through a monthly bilingual poetry reading featuring Chicano and Latino artists. With an aim to foster dialogue through literature in Chicago and beyond\, each evening often pairs a local poet with a visiting writer along with an open mic to engage the interaction of diverse voices\, ideas\, and aesthetics. The readings are held the third Wednesday of every month (except August and December) \nPalabra Pura se enfoca en la expresion literaria en varios idiomas a traves de una serie de lecturas mensuales bilingues con artistas Chicanos y Latinos. Nuestra meta es promover el dialogo a traves de la literatura en Chicago y mas alla. Con este fin\, cado lectura combina un poeta local con uno invitado\, ademas de un open mic para cultivar la interaccion de voces\, ideas esteticas diversas. Las lecturas se ofrecen el tercer miercoles de cada mes (con excepcion de agosto y diciembre). \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-one-poet-one-poem-2014/ LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20131120T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20131120T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130204T172152Z LAST-MODIFIED:20131113T183658Z UID:1838-1384975800-1384981200@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: El Amor DESCRIPTION:Our monthly bilingual poetry night returns to its usual destination: the always-fabulous La Bruquena! Join us for this final Palabra Pura of the year as multimedia artist Miquel Lopez Lemus presents a cantologia on love. Twenty-seven (!) Palabra Pura poets contributed a new poem on the theme for this published collection\, and many will be on hand to read for this special event. What’s more\, you can purchase the volume and take the love home. Physical copies will available at the reading\, and digital copies can be found at Amazon.com. All proceeds from book sales benefit Palabra Pura. \nCantologia I. is published by Pandora/lobo estepario Press and features the work of: Rosemary Aceves\, Lisa Alvarado\, Eduardo Arocho\, Beatriz Badikian-Gartler\, Xánath Caraza\, Cristina Correa\, Dinorah Cortes-Velez\, Jorge García de la Fe\, Juanita Goergen\, Silvia Goldman\, Mary Hawley\, Miguel Lopez Lemus\, Elizabeth Marino\, Rita Martinez-Puccio\, Miguel Marzana\, Zulema Moret\, Yolanda Nieves\, Diana Pando\, Jennifer Patino\, Johanny Vázquez Paz\, Peter Ramos\, Martha Cecilia Rivera\, Martin Rubio Jr.\, Beatriz Ruiz\, Xenia Ruiz\, Sandra Santiago\, Teresa Vázquez\, Emanuel Xavier. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-el-amor/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20131024T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20131024T203000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130204T170826Z LAST-MODIFIED:20131004T181014Z UID:1834-1382641200-1382646600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Letras Latinas DESCRIPTION:We very pleased to be partnering with Poetry Foundation and Red Hen Press for this month’s Palabra Pura. \nCelebrate the inaugural winner and judge of the Letras Latinas/Red Hen Poetry Prize. Judge Orlando Ricardo Menes directs the creative writing program at the University of Notre Dame. His third full-length collection\, Fetish\, won the 2012 Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry and was published in 2013 by the University of Nebraska Press. Winner Dan Vera is a writer\, editor and literary historian in Washington\, DC. In addition to his winning volume\, Speaking Wiri Wiri\, he is the author of The Space Between Our Danger and Delight (Beothuk Books\, 2008). A booksigning and reception follow. \nThis is a Poetry Foundation event co-sponsored with Letras Latinas\, Red Hen Press\, Guild Complex\, and the Ragdale Foundation. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-letras-latinas/ LOCATION:The Poetry Foundation\, 61 W Superior St\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130918T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130918T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130204T170104Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130904T163057Z UID:1831-1379532600-1379538000@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Inspiration DESCRIPTION:Poets meet muse at the September installment of our monthly bilingual poetry series\, Palabra Pura\, curated by Irasema Gonzalez and featuring poets Diana Pando and Xánath Caraza. “Inspiration” takes place Wednesday\, September 18\, 2013\, at 7:30 PM at La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division. The program will be spoken in English and Spanish. Admission is free. \nThe dynamic between artist and inspiration is at times a lovely dance and at others a bitter duel.  Join us as we discover how two poets responded when Federico Garcia Lorca’s version of duende\, “that mysterious power that everyone feels but no philosopher can explain\,” extended a hand for a dance on the page. \nIrasema Gonzalez  has presented work at 2nd Story\, the Poetry Performance Incubator and Palabra Pura.  Her story Love in the Time of Crushed Cherries and Aqua Net broadcasted on Vocalo on WBEZ.  Her poems appeared in the chapbook\, Afternoon Wine: Vicios\, Sueños y Confesiones\, Ariel XXVIII\, and Between the Heart and the Land: An Anthology of Midwestern Latina Poets by March Abrazo Press. She is a founding member of Proyecto Latina\, a multi-media project that spotlights the work of Latinas and she shares an essay in their recently published anthology Rebeldes. \n \nXánath Caraza is a traveler\, educator\, poet and short story writer. Her published works include Sílabas de viento (Mammoth Publications\, 2014)\, Lo que trae la marea/ What the Tide Brings\, Conjuro\, and Corazón Pintado: Ekphrastic Poems. Caraza was the winner of the 2003 Ediciones Nuevo Espacio international short story contest\, an International Book Awards finalist in 2013\, and was named a 2013 Top Ten “New” Latino Authors to Watch by Latinostories.com. \n  \n \nDiana Pando is a poet\, writer\, and a founder of the Proyecto Latina Reading Series. In 2012\, her poem Coatlique Rising was selected to be part of the Rites of Passage anthology and was a finalist for the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Competition. In 2010 her ten-minute play Thirst was presented at Teatro Luna’s 10X10 play festival. Currently she is part of the Con Tinta literary advisory board\n. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-8/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130717T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130717T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130204T164336Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130716T135733Z UID:1827-1374089400-1374094800@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "The Diaspora Daughters Speak" DESCRIPTION:Afro-Latino(a)s/Caribbeans are challenged to reconcile what are seen as conflicting identities. The Guild Literary Complex sheds poetic light on the topic with “The Diaspora Daughters Speak\,” the July installment of our monthly bilingual poetry series Palabra Pura\, curated by Sandra Posados and featuring poets Yolanda Nieves and Maya Emma Nnena Ruth Odim (Maya Odim). “The Diaspora Daughters Speak” takes place Wednesday\, July 17\, 2013\, at 7:30 PM at La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division. The program will be spoken in English and Spanish. Admission is free. \nIssues of identity are at the core of the Afro-Latino(a)/Caribbean experience in the United States. Sometimes seen by Latino(a)s as a novelty\, Afro-Latino(a)s get asked\, “Where did you learn to speak Spanish?” Meanwhile\, whites confuse black Latino(a)s for being African-American. And if an Afro-Latino(a) is light skinned the reality of African roots is not recognized by many family members. July’s Palabra Pura encourages Latino(a)s to redress this conflict. As curator Posado notes\, “We are ‘Latino(a)’ regardless of where we fall on the color spectrum. In their own words\, these empowered\, self-affirming\, educated Afro-Latinas/Caribbean poets [will] share their professional and personal experiences of living with a changing\, often contested identity in a racialized society.” \nSandra Posadas is an educator\, artist/illustrator\, and actress. She holds a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.A. in bilingual/bicultural Education from DePaul University. Posadas has performed across the city\, most notably as part of The Brown Girls’ Chronicles. \n  \nYolanda Nieves is an educator\, writer\, and performer. Nieves is an Assistant Professor in English at Wilbur Wright College Chicago and the creative director of The Vida Bella Ensemble. She won the American Educational Research Association’s 2010 Arts-Based Dissertation of the Year Award for the performance-text\, The Brown Girls’ Chronicles:  Puerto Rican Women & Resilience. \n \nMaya Emma Nnena Ruth Odim (Maya Odim) is an artist\, educator\, and author of a collection of poems titled: Planets\, Gourds and Traveling Staffs. As a facilitator and co-facilitator she has experience giving creative writing\, poetry and spoken word workshops\, as well as Latin Dance and Break Dance workshops\, in many spaces in the city of Chicago and the state of Connecticut. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-7/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130619T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130619T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130204T160647Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130327T193209Z UID:1823-1371670200-1371675600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Blood\, Family\, and Tears / Sangre\, Familia y Lágrimas" DESCRIPTION:Our monthly bilingual poetry event. Curated by Johanny Vázquez Paz featuring Dinorah Cortés-Vélez and Teresa Vázquez. \nDinorah Cortés-Vélez \nDinorah Cortés-Velez\nDinorah Cortés-Vélez is from Isabela\, Puerto Rico. She has resided in Wisconsin since 1997. She is an Assistant Professor of Latin American literature at Marquette University\, Milwaukee\, WI\, USA. She earned her doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a dissertation on the ethical and political uses of humor in Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Her research interests include Colonial and contemporary Latin American literature. In 2011\, she published her first novel\, El arca de la memoria: una biomitografía\, (The Chest of Memory: A Biomythography) with Isla Negra Publishers (San Juan\, Puerto Rico). Her second book of fiction\, Cuarentena y otras pejigueras menstruales (Quarantine and Other Menstrual Trifles) is about to be published. \n  \n  \n  \nTeresa Vázquez \nTeresa Vázquez\nTeresa Vázquez is an Assistant Professor and the Humanities Program Chair at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne. In 2000\, she released a CD Chapbook of poetry and soundscapes entitled A Woman Loving\, with funding from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.  Her work has also appeared in MARCH Abrazo Press’s Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el corazón y la tierra\, an anthology of Midwest Latina writers. Teresa has performed at the Printer’s Row Book Festival\, the Guild Complex\, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Def Poetry Jam Showcase\, the Green Mill\, The HotHouse\, and N.A.M.E. Gallery in Chicago\, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art\, TRIAAC’s Acoustic Spokenword Café\, and at IPFW in Fort Wayne.  She holds a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from Oberlin College\, and an MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. \n  \n  \n  \nJohanny Vázquez Paz (curator) \nJohanny Vazquez Paz\nJohanny Vázquez Paz was born in San Juan\, Puerto Rico. Her latest book\, Querido voyeur\, was published by Ediciones Torremozas (Madrid\, Spain). Her previous book\, Streetwise Poems /Poemas callejeros (Mayapple Press\, 2007) won Honorable Mention in the 2008 International Latino Book Awards (California). In November\, 2012\, her collection\, “Sagrada familia” (Sacred Family)\, won first prize in the poetry category at the Consenso Short Story and Poetry Contest of Northeastern Illinois University. She also won second prize in the same contest for her story “La muda” (The Mute). She co-edited the anthology Between the Heart and the Land / Entre el corazón y la tierra: Latina Poets in the Midwest published by MARCH/Abrazo Press in 2001. Her work has been included in the anthologies City of Big Shoulders (University of Iowa Press\, 2012)\, Ejército de rosas (Boreales\, 2011)\, En la 18 a la 1\, (Vocesueltas\, 2010)\, The City Visible: Chicago Poetry for the New Century (Cracked Slab Books\, 2007)\, and Poetas sin tregua (Ráfagas\, 2006)\, among others. She currently teaches Spanish at Harold Washington College in Chicago.The author invites everyone to her blog TINTA DERRAMADA at: http://johannyvazquezpaz.blogspot.com/ URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-6/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130515T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130515T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130117T164029Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130424T154023Z UID:1799-1368646200-1368651600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Noche de Novelas / Night of Novels" DESCRIPTION:Join us for a monthly bilingual poetry series\, guest curated by Raul Dorantes and featuring Mark Litwicki\, Martha Cecelia Rivera\, and Febronio Zatarain. \nOn Wednesday\, May 15\, 2013\, Palabra Pura presents “Noche de novelas/Night of Novels\,” curated by Raúl Dorantes. This is a rare opportunity to hear three outstanding Chicago writers read excerpts of their novels in Spanish\, with English supertitles. See and hear the compelling work of these acclaimed authors. The night begins with an open mic at 7:30 p.m. \nMark Litwicki\nMark Litwicki. Autor de La Catedral de Sal\, novela basada en sus experiencias como periodista en Colombia en los noventa. Su drama bilingüe Una pequeña mujer ilegal se produjo en Chicago en 2006. Es miembro de Akvavit\, la compañía de teatro nórdico de Chicago. Doctorado de la Universidad Loyola de Chicago\, es profesor en Morton College y ha impartido cursos de literatura y lingüística para Loyola y la Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). Divide su tiempo entre Chicago\, Bogotá y La Habana. \nMark Litwicki. Author of La Catedral de Sal\, a novel based on his experiences as a journalist in Colombia in the nineties. His bilingual play Una pequeña mujer ilegal was produced in Chicago in 2006. He is a member of Akvavit\, a Nordic theater company in Chicago. He has a doctorate from Loyola\, is a professor at Morton College\, and has taught courses in literature and linguistics for Loyola and the University of the Andes in Colombia. He divides his time between Chicago\, Bogotá\, and Havana. \n  \n  \nMartha Rivera\nMartha Cecilia Rivera. Escritora y poetisa colombiana. Su obra incluye Opera de un Hombre que Buscaba (1998)\, La Fatalidad de la Gallina (2009)\, Fantasmas para Noches Largas (2012) y el poemario en preparación Peldaños de Brecht. \nMartha Cecilia Rivera. Colombian writer and poet. Her works include Opera de un Hombre que Buscaba (1998)\, La Fatalidad de la Gallina (2009)\, Fantasmas para Noches Largas (2012) and a forthcoming collection of poetry titled Peldaños de Brecht. \n  \n  \n  \nFebronio Zatarain\nFebronio Zatarain. Inmigró a Estados Unidos en 1989; desde entonces se ha dedicado a promover la literature a través de talleres literarios y de revistas culturales. Su ultimo libro fue Prosario\, incluido en Desarraigos: cuatro poetas latinoamericanos en Chicago\, publicado por Ediciones Vocesueltas. En la actualidad coordina el taller literario del grupo contratiempo. \nFebronio Zatarain. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1989; since then he has dedicated himself to promoting literature through writing workshops and  cultural magazines. His most recent book is Prosario\, included in Desarraigos: cuatro poetas latinoamericanos en Chicago\, published by Ediciones Vocesueltas. He currently coordinates the contratiempo writing workshop. \n  \n  \nRaúl Dorantes\nRaúl Dorantes nació en México en 1968. Emigró a la ciudad de Chicago a finales de 1986. En 2007 publicó un libro de cuentos titulado Vocesueltas. En el mismo año\, a través de la casa editorial de la Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México\, Dorantes (en colaboración con su amigo Febronio Zatarain) publicó una colección de ensayos que lleva por nombre Y nos vinimos de mojados. En el terreno de la dramaturgia\, la compañía de teatro Aguijón ha producido dos de sus obras: Hasta los gorriones dejan su nido (en 2008) y El lunes de León Rodríguez (en 2009). En la actualidad Dorantes es profesor de literatura latinoamericana en Saint Augustine College\, de Chicago. \nRaúl Dorantes was born in México in 1968 and came to Chicago in 1986. In 2007 he published a collection of short stories titled Vocesueltas. The same year\, through the publishing arm of the Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México\, Dorantes (in collaboration with his friend Febronio Zatarain) published a collection of essays titled Y nos vinimos de mojados. The theater company of Teatro Aguijón has produced two of his plays: Hasta los gorriones dejan su nido (in 2008) y El lunes de León Rodríguez (in 2009). Dorantes is currently a professor of Latin American literature at Saint Augustine College in Chicago. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-5/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130417T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130417T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130117T160307Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130318T201453Z UID:1797-1366227000-1366232400@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Telling Our Stories Through the Body" DESCRIPTION:Join us this April for “Telling Our Stories Through the Body\,” curated by Erika Sánchez and featuring Juana Iris Goergen and Ruben Quesada. More details below. \nErika L. Sánchez\nErika L. Sánchez is a poet and freelance writer living in Chicago. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois at Chicago\, was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Madrid\, Spain\, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is currently the sex and love advice columnist for Cosmopolitan for Latinas and a contributor for The Huffington Post\, NBC Latino\, and others. Her poetry has appeared in Pleiades\, Drunken Boat\, Witness\, Anti-\, Hunger Mountain\, Crab Orchard Review\, Hayden’s Ferry Review\, Copper Nickel\, and others. She has written book reviews for Kirkus Reviews and her nonfiction has been published in Jezebel\, AlterNet\, and Ms. Magazine. \nJuana Iris Goergen\nJuana Iris Goergen (Puerto Rico). Published poet. Professor of Spanish\,  Latin American and U.S. Latino Literature at DePaul University\, Chicago. As a poet she has published La sal de las brujas (finalist at Letras de Oro and published by Betania 1997) and  La piel a medias (2001)\,  Las Ilusas/Dreamers (Vocesueltas\, 2008) as well as poems published in anthologies: Astillas de luz/Shards of Light (1998)\, Nosotros los otros (1996) Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el corazón y la tierra (2001)\, Generación (2001). She is the editor of Susurros para disipar las sombras: Antología poética\,  V International Poetry Festival Poesía en Abril\, Michigan: Erato Ediciones\, 2012. She developed and co-organizes in Chicago\, Poesía en abril\, International Poetry Festival in Spanish\, now in its 6th year. She has two unpublished poetry collections: La celda de Lilith and ContraOda al sueño americano. \nRuben Quesada\nRuben Quesada is the author of Next Extinct Mammal (2011) and Luis Cernuda: Exiled from the Throne of Night (2008). A CantoMundo fellow\, he is the Founding Editor of Codex Journal\, and Poetry Editor at The Cossack Review. His writing has appeared in Cimarron Review\, The American Poetry Review\, The Rumpus\, Rattle\, and Third Coast. He teaches creative writing at Eastern Illinois University. \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-telling-our-stories-through-the-body/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130320T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130320T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082739 CREATED:20130117T152900Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130227T183740Z UID:1789-1363807800-1363813200@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: Poems as Stories\, Stories as Poems DESCRIPTION:Dawn Herrera\n  \nFeaturing Dawn Herrera Helphand and Denise Ruiz\, Poems as Stories\, Stories as Poems explores the ways that poetry opens up narrative possibilities. At once funny and fierce\, thoughtful and bizarre\, this month’s Palabra Pura\, curated by Coya Paz\, brings verse and storytelling together through the words of two powerful women. \nDawn Herrera Helphand is a poet\, a mother and a full-time lover. Dawn was most recently seen onstage as “Pink Slime” in “Unnatural Spaces\,” the Guild Complex’s performance-poetry incubator. A Mellon Mays Fellow\, Dawn is pursuing a Ph.D. with the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought\, investigating the relationships between freedom and power\, ethics and politics. \nCoya Paz\nDenise Ruiz is a poet\, mother\, and agitator. Denise recently wrote and performed in Unnatural Spaces\, from the Guild Complex’s Poetry-Performance Incubator. She believes in real talk and cute clothes. \nCoya Paz is poet\, director\, and lip gloss connoisseur. She is the Lead Artist for the Poetry Performance Incubator at The Guld Complex\, a founding member of Proyecto Latina\, and a member of the artistic team at Free Street Theatre. She teaches in The Theatre School at DePaul University. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-4/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20130220T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20130220T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20130117T152712Z LAST-MODIFIED:20130205T155224Z UID:1787-1361388600-1361394000@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Weather / Whether" DESCRIPTION:The Guild Literary Complex (GLC) continues the eighth year of Palabra Pura with an evening of bilingual poetry titled\, “Whether in Chicago.” Curated by Rafael Franco\, this event asks us to consider what role\, if any\, weather plays\, whether significantly or not\, in writing and how that writing might weather the winds of literary exploration. The event will include poetry in Spanish\, English\, and Spanglish.Featured readers include performance duo Zigtebra and Alex Bonner. \n  \nRafael Franco writes\, acts\, and shoots photography. His collection of short stories – Alaska – received the first annual National Short Story Prize from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in 2006. His next book is titled Las Macrónicas del Temponauta and will be published in the spring by Colección Maravilla on the island. An experimental novel incorporating poetry\, photography\, and metafiction\, Las Macrónicas is the first salvo in an ambitious literary project that jumps across genres through a series of books collectively known as Los IV Libros de la Inmortalidad\, though there are more than four books and everybody dies. He is currently collaborating with fellow Antillean author and performer Rey Andújar on theater projects under the shared moniker: ReHab & Denial. \nZigtebra is a half-sibling performance pop-rock duo whose name comes from a mashup of a Zebra (emily) and a Tiger (joseph).  They met two and half years ago in a dance troop called Pure Magical Love and upon discovering their relatedness\, teamed up to write songs married to performance.  Over the past year their shows have included a Leonard Cohen musical\, “The Red Pony” play\, “The Parrot and the Pirate\,” “Psychic Psyblings” cassette tape release\, and a recent appearance on CAN-TV’s “Chic-A-Go-Go.” \n\n  \nAlex Bonner is a Chicagoan. His writing can be seen on walls all over town but also in some of its stranger printing houses\, including just recently The Deadline and Back to Print. Alex was the 2009 Windy City Story Slam Champion and won the 2010 National Storyslam people’s choice award. Alex can be seen reading his work aloud for several Chicago–based reading series such as Second Story and The Moth. Alex also spent a massive amount of loan money at Columbia College Chicago where he learned the basic format of how to write screenplays; ever since\, he has been the head writer and co-founder of Bailout Pictures Chicago. \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-weather-whether/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor\, Select a Country: CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20121128T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20121128T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120725T201231Z LAST-MODIFIED:20121126T145807Z UID:1559-1354131000-1354136400@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Rooster Footed Devils" DESCRIPTION:This installment of Palabra Pura will explore the effect on individuals and communities of not fitting in to preconceived Latino identities. It is curated by Jennifer Patiño and featuring poets Beatriz Ruiz\, Anthony Michael Cooremans and RIK Vazquez. \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \nBeatriz J Ruiz was born and raised in Chicago and Guanajuato.  She is a writer by vocation\, not profession.  She is not a gold coin.  She has always tried to find home but instead has chosen to carry it on her back. She is an osicona\, a cabrona.  She is the boxer’s swan song. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAnthony Michael Cooremans was born and raised in San Antonio\, Texas. He writes poetry and short essays about modern society and history.  Much of his work focuses on racial ambiguity in increasingly diverse times. His is a Aydos Learning national award winner in poetry and the current Grand Slam poetry champion for Mental Graffiti – Chicago. Anthony is currently working on a project entitled Field Trips\, featuring stories commentary on what excites us as children.\n\nRIK Vazquez is a spoken word artist and educator. At the age of eighteen he coached the Steinmetz Poetry team which competed in Chicago’s “Louder Than A Bomb” youth poetry slam\, the team won and went on to compete on a national level. The teams RIK has coached in successive years have met all personal and educational goals they have set\, several going on to college as Creative Writing and English majors. In 2009\, 2011\, and 2012 he represented Chicago at the adult National Poetry Slam. In 2010 RIK became a member of Marc Smith’s Speak Easy poetry ensemble. Over the summer of 2011 he teamed up with Patricia Smith and Billy Tuggle and relaunched the traveling poetry collective known as the Four Star Poets. The only things he does better than writing poems is hunting lions and riding dolphins. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-2/ LOCATION:La Bruquena\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura ORGANIZER;CN="":MAILTO:info@guildcomplex.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20121017T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20121017T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120725T201659Z LAST-MODIFIED:20121017T203754Z UID:1562-1350502200-1350507600@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura - "Migrating Words: Contratiempo Poets" DESCRIPTION:The Guild Literary Complex continues its seventh year of its Palabra Pura bilingual poetry series with “Migrating Words: Contratiempo Poets” on October 17\, 2012. The event is curated by Dr. Jochy Herrera and features poets from contratiempo magazine. The event will include poetry in Spanish\, English and a combination of both. Featured readers will include Jorge Montiel\, Silvia Goldman\, and Santiago Weksler. \n  \n\nABOUT CONTRATIEMPO\nAs a result of the literary and cultural needs of Spanish speaking writers of Chicago\, Contratiempo was born in 2003. Since its beginnings\, Contratiempo sought to preserve\, enrich\, and promote Latin American art and thought in Spanish through the pages of a monthly print and online magazine that\, in a few weeks\, will celebrate it s 100th consecutive issue! \n  \nABOUT THE CURATOR\n \nJochy Herrera has been a part of Contratiempo magazine since its beginnings\, and has served on its board of directors and editorial board. He is a native of the Dominican Republic and author of two books: Extrasistoles and Seducir los sentidos. \n  \n  \n  \n\n  \nABOUT THE READERS\n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nJorge Montiel was born in Paterson\, New Jersey\, in 1986. He spent much of his life in Puebla\, Mexico\, where he attended the Palafoxian Seminary of Puebla. He arrived in Chicago in 2007 and currently studies philosophy and Spanish at Northeastern Illinois University. His poems have been published in the anthology En la 18 a la 1: Escritores  \n\n \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSantiago Weksler has not returned to Peru since he came to Chicago in 2001. He earns his living as a dog-walker. He is a photographer and a poet. He lives in Pilsen with his cat Danico and his friend Elena.de Contratiempo en Chicago (On 18th Street at 1 am: Contratiempo Writers in Chicago) \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSilvia Goldman was born in Uruguay. She moved to the US eleven years ago and recently relocated to the Chicago area. She has published poems as well scholarly articles in literary journals and online anthologies such as Maldoror: Revista de la ciudad de Montevideo; Revista de escritura & poéticas 7de7; Small Stations: Anthology of Poets; Rilce: Revista de filología hispánica; Inti: Revista de literatura hispánica\, and Rassegna Iberistica. In 2008 she published her first book of poetry entitled Cinco movimientos del llanto (Ediciones Hermes Criollo). In 2010 she received her PhD in Hispanic Studies from Brown University. She has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Romance Languages at Boston College and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at North Central College. Her research interests include Latin American poetry and poetics\, testimonial literature and film\, Performance Studies\, Transatlantic Studies\, and Memory Studies. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-migrating-words-contratiempo-poets/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120919T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120919T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120725T202118Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120810T174238Z UID:1565-1348083000-1348088400@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Intercambios Generaciónales con Palabras y Ritmos" (Generational Exchange with Words and Rhythms) DESCRIPTION:Three Poets and a master percussionist demonstrate the continuing contributions of Puerto Ricans to Chicago literature. This evening is curated by Eduardo Arocho and features poet Judy Diaz\, poet/musician David Hernandez\, and percussionist and musician Peter Vale. \nCurator \nEduardo Arocho has been writing and performing poetry since 1992. He has been featured in many venues in Chicago including: Citiverse Poetry Series at the Sultzer Library\, The Institute for Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and the Guild Complex among others. His poetry has been published in OPEN FIST: Anthology of Young Illinois Poets\, by Tia Chucha Press (1993)\, POWERLINES: A Decade of Poetry from Chicago’s Guild Complex\, by Tia Chucha Press (2000) and EL CENTRO JOURNAL\, Center for Puerto Rican Studies\, Hunter College New York\, NY\, (2001). His career also includes performing on Chicago Public Radio\, the feature film Urban Poet by New Film Productions (2003) and the Documentary Flags of Steel by Mildred Amador (2008). As a freelance reporter his articles have appeared in several local Chicago newspapers\, as well as the National Public Radio program Latino USA: The Radio Journal of News and Culture. He is currently completing work on his forthcoming poetry manuscript\, Nació Maestro (New and Selected Poems). \nFeatured Artists \nJudith Díaz was born and raised in Humboldt Park\, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Master’s in Educational Psychology for Youth Development at University of Illinois at Chicago. Judy has also worked as a youth advocate in Pilsen through the National Center for Latinos with Disabilities and as an Affordable Housing Community Organizer at Blocks Together in the West Humboldt Park community. Her involvement in Paseo Boricua began with Batey Urbano where she combined her passion for community building and poetry. Batey Urbano became the space where she worked with students of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School (PACHS) for the first time. She was inspired by their resiliency and became more interested in education. She began working as a mentor at PACHS in 2005. Currently\, Judy is the Dean of Student Affairs at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School. She dedicates herself to working with youth in the Humboldt Park community to provide educational alternatives and help them realize their potential to be agents of self/social transformation. \nDavid Hernandez He is a founding member of the Latino Arts movement and has continued this commitment as board member\, editor\, panelist and juror with the Poetry Foundation\, Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. As a poet and educator\, he has touched the lives of over 600\,000 students from public schools\, community and regional programs\, to libraries\, colleges\, universities and professionals at agencies and corporations. He has organized student performances\, city-wide poetry festivals\, poetry contests and edited several anthologies of poetry. His grants\, awards and other recognition include being the 1st recipient of the Gwendolyn Brooks Outstanding Poet of Illinois award and the Illinois State Library Patron’s Choice award. In 1971 he founded Street Sounds-Chicago’s award-winning premier poetry/music group. \nPeter Vale‘s instruments include Congas\, Bongo and Timbales. He has performed with the following bands: Son Bayu\, Salsa Dulce\, Acusticos\, Joe Rendon & Friends\, Latin Inspiracion\, Suena Latin Jazz\, Taino DNA\, Albert Sierra & His Cuban Flavor\, and more. He studied Latin Percussion under Master Congero Osbaldo “Ogie” Merced. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-3/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, 2nd floor\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120718T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120718T210059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120531T011323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120531T012217Z UID:1349-1342639800-1342645259@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Cross-Cultural Latino/a" DESCRIPTION:This evening will showcase two poets with a passion for cross-cultural experiences – poetry that travels. \nCurator \nFrancisco Aragón is Director of Letras Latinas\, the national literary program of the Institute for Latino Studies\, University of Notre Dame\, and has been a member of the Institute since 2003. He has published\, edited or contributed to numerous poetry books and journals and his poems and translations have appeared in various print and web publications. He is a member of Macondo Writing Workshop and serves on the board of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). He holds degrees in Spanish from the University of California at Berkeley and New York University\, and an MA in English and an MFA in creative writing from the University of California at Davis and the University of Notre Dame\, respectively. \nFeatured Poets \nErika L. Sánchez graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois at Chicago\, was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Madrid\, Spain\, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is currently a reader for Another Chicago Magazine\, a freelance bilingual book reviewer for Kirkus Reviews\, and a contributor for The Huffington Post and Mamiverse. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Pleiades\, Drunken Boat\, Witness\, Anti-\, Rhino\, Hunger Mountain\, Crab Orchard Review\, Hayden’s Ferry Review\, Copper Nickel\, and others. Her nonfiction has appeared in Jezebel\, Ms. Magazine\, and American Public Media. She is currently working on a memoir and poetry manuscript. erikalsanchez.com \nRichard Blanco was made in Cuba\, assembled in Spain\, and imported to the United States — meaning his mother\, seven months pregnant\, and the rest of the family arrived as exiles from Cuba to Madrid where he was born. Forty-five days later\, the family emigrated once more\, eventually settling in Miami where he was raised and educated. His acclaimed first book of poetry\, City of a Hundred Fires\, which explores the negotiation of cultural identity as a Cuban-American\, won the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press (1998). Since 1999\, Blanco has traveled extensively and lived in Guatemala\, Brazil\, Connecticut\, where he was Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and Latino Literature\, and Washington DC\, where he taught at Georgetown and American University. His second book\, Directions to the Beach of the Dead continues to explore themes of home\, place\, and identity (University of Arizona Press\, Camino Del Sol Series\, 2005). His poems have appeared in major literary journals and anthologies\, including The Best American Poetry 2000\, Great American Prose Poems\, The Breadloaf Anthology of New American Poets\, and he has been featured on National Public Radio. Blanco received the John Ciardi Fellowship from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference\, a Florida Artist Fellowship\, and a Residency Fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. A builder of bridges and poems\, Blanco earned both a bachelors of science degree in Civil Engineering (1991) and a Master in Fine Arts in Creative Writing (1997) from Florida International University\, where he studied with Campbell McGrath. http://www.richard-blanco.com/ \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-cross-cultural-latinoa/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura ORGANIZER;CN="":MAILTO:info@guildcomplex.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120620T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120620T210059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120516T165811Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120526T200059Z UID:1330-1340220600-1340226059@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: "Spanish Harlem" DESCRIPTION:Exploring Afro-Latino poetry – curated by Marta Collazo and featuring Jeanette. \nCurator \nMarta Collazo is a Puerto Rican woman born and raised in Lorain\, Ohio. She has lived in the Chicago area for the last fourty years. Collazo studied Communications and Literature at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a social activist\, a mother\, an educator\, an athlete\, and a poet. She has performed her poetry at several venues throughout Chicago. She was included in the anthology Between the Heart and the Land / Entre el corazón y la tierra: Latina Poets in the Midwest published by MARCH/Abrazo Press in 2001. \nFeatured Poet \nJeanette\,  born and raised in Humboldt Park \, currently serves the Humboldt Park community professionally as a therapist/clinician for both the Association House of Chicago as well as C4. As a clinician Just Jeanette is engaged in her life’s purpose working with individuals and families in crisis. Jeanette attended Malcolm X College for her Associates in Social Science\, Northeastern University for her Bachelor’s in Social Work and graduated from Dominican University with a Master’s in Social Work but is most proud of her graduation from The Family Learning Program @ The Puerto-Rican Cultural Center where she obtained her High School Diploma at the age of twenty six and learned to embrace her heritage\, her people\, and her voice. Jeanette was a member of The National Committee for the Release of The Puerto Rican Prisoners of War (Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!) and is forever grateful for that experience and privilege. Jeanette’s written work mirror’s her professional work in that its intention is to provoke movement through self acceptance and self-empowerment. Jeanette is currently working on a series of children’s books designed to encourage the understanding of the beauty and importance of diversity and self love. Jeanette is also beginning the collection of works of young women of color in this and other communities in the hopes of compiling an Anthology that speaks to their diverse and similar experiences\, dreams\, and tears. Jeanette is the proud mother of four boys ages 22\, 16\,12\, and 6 and the stepmother of a beautifully unique 23 year old daughter all of whom challenge her regularly to avoid settling… at all costs. \nTresalyn Bray is a full-time mother of five\, writer\, and graduate student at Chicago State University in the MFA Creative Writing program. She has been writing for over twenty years in a variety of genres\, including but not limited to short stories\, flash fiction\, historical fiction\, non-fiction\, poetry\, theater\, and spoken word. She has performed with Performers or Writers for Women On Women’s issues (POWWOW) Performance Ensemble in the staged reading of Eve Ensler’s Any One of Us. Tresalyn has a passion for using both written and spoken word to give voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-spanish-harlem/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura ORGANIZER;CN="":MAILTO:info@guildcomplex.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120516T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120516T210059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120415T181017Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120515T185719Z UID:1169-1337196600-1337202059@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura "South of the Border: Way South” DESCRIPTION:Curated by Beatriz Badikian Gartler and featuring Fernando Olszanski and Bernardo Navia. \nCurator \nBeatriz Badikian-Gartler was born and reared in Buenos Aires\, Argentina\, and has lived in the Chicago area for over thirty-five years. Badikian-Gartler holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and teaches at various institutions of higher learning. Her essays\, poems\, and stories have been published in numerous journals\, anthologies\, and newspapers in the United States and abroad. She is a popular performer in the Chicago area and lectures often on women’s issues\, art\, and literature. In 2000 Badikian was selected as one of the One-Hundred Women Who Make a Difference in Chicago by Today’s Woman magazine. She is an Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar and a frequent Newberry Library instructor. Her second full length collection\, Mapmaker Revisited: New and Selected Poems\, was published in 1999 from Gladsome Books in Chicago. Her first novel Old Gloves – A 20th Century Saga was published in 2005 by Fractal Edge Press in Chicago. Her art work has been exhibited at Robert Morris College\, Around the Coyote art festival\, and other venues in Chicago. Her collages are available for purchase on her website: www.bbgartler.com \nFeatured Poets \nFernando Olszanski was born in Buenos Aires\, Argentina. He has lived in Ecuador\, Europe\, Japan and currently in the United States. Is the author of the novel Rezos de marihuana\, the book of poems Parte del polvo and participated in several anthologies around the world. As a writer he has been awarded for his poetry\, fiction and essays in Argentina\, Spain Mexico\, Venezuela and the U.S. He has published his work in The Barcelona Review and Espéculo\, in Spain; Franchachela and Las Letras in Argentina\, Contratiempo\, The Cove\, Ventana Abierta\, The Bilingual Review\, Divergencias\, in the US\, and also in Mexico\, Chile\, Ecuador\, Denmark\, Japan\, Brasil\, Philippines\, and Colombia. Part of his work has been translated to Japanese. He is the Chief Editor of Revista Consenso\, a publication of Northeastern Illinois University. As a Filmmaker he has participated in several film festivals\, including the Chicago Latino Film Festival and the Chicago Anarchist Film Festival. His last book\, El orden natural de las cosas\, has been awarded with the International Latino Book Award in the Best Popular Fiction category. He lives in Chicago. \nBernardo E. Navia L. was born in Chilán (Chile) in August\, 1967. He had the opportunity of living in many Chilean cities and in several Latino countries as well. In September 1987 he and his family moved to the United States. He studied a Major in Spanish from the Universidad de las Antillas\, in Puerto Rico and obtained a Spanish Master from UIC. In 2001 he graduated from UIC as well with a Ph.D. in Spanish. At the present moment he works as a Spanish Assistant Professor at DePaul University. Bernardo has published several essays\, poems\, and short stories in different magazines and newspapers\, from United States and abroad. He has also published two poetry books\, Doce muertes para una resaca (Madrid: Betania 2000)\, and Viaje en dos jornadas (Bloomington: Palibrio 2011); one book of short stories\, Sin tregus y otros desórdenes urbanos (Bloomington: Palibrio 2010); he has also co-authored another two short stories books\, Vocesueltas: Cuatro cuentistas de Chicago (Chicago: Ediciones Vocesueltas 2007); and Voces Online (Santiago de Chile: Escritores.CL 2010). Bernardo is married to Leslie Klatt; they have three children: Inti (7 years old)\, Leaf (4 years old)\, and Rain (1 year old). \nBernardo E. Navia L. nació en Chillán (Chile) en agosto de 1967. Tuvo la oportunidad de vivir y viajar por muchas ciudades de Chile así como también por diversos países de América Latina. En septiembre de 1987 se radicó con su familia en Estados Unidos. Cursó estudios de Bachillerato en Español en la Universidad de Las Antillas en Puerto Rico y Maestría en Español en UIC. En el año 2001 terminó su Ph.D. en la misma universidad y actualmente trabaja como profesor asistente de español en DePaul University. Bernardo ha publicado varios ensayos\, poemas y cuentos en diversas revistas y periódicos tanto de Estados Unidos como del exterior. Ha publicado también dos libros de poesía\, Doce muertes para una resaca (Madrid: Betania 2000) y Viaje en dos jornadas (Bloomington: Palibrio 2011); un libro de cuentos\, Sin tregua y otros desórdenes urbanos (Bloomington: Palibrio 2010); y es co-autor de otros dos libros de cuentos\, Vocesueltas: Cuatro cuentistas de Chicago (Chicago: Ediciones Vocesueltas 2007); y Voces Online (Santiago de Chile: Escritores. CL 2010). Bernardo está casado con Leslie Klatt y tiene 3 niños: Inti (7 años)\, Leaf (4 años) y Rain (1 año). \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (2nd floor)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura,Special Events ORGANIZER;CN="Guild Literary Complex":MAILTO:info@guildcomplex.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120418T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120418T210059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120321T145126Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120331T160842Z UID:1061-1334777400-1334782859@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura "Lives Between Love and Darkness" DESCRIPTION:Curated by Gregorio Gómez and featuring Nora Leon and Martin Rubio Jr. \n  \nCurator \nGregorio Gomez is the MC of Chicago’s most infamous and longest running underground poetry venue at “WEEDS”.  Gregorio who emigrated from Veracruz\, Mexico has been a major influence in the development of the spoken word and many venues of Chicago’s poetry community for at least two decades. As the Managing Director of the Latino Chicago Theater Company at The Firehouse (Damen and North Ave.); the company was at the forefront in the advancement of theater and the arts in Wicker Park.  As well as the community’s economic development…and he takes blame for being a factor in the gentrification of Wicker Park. Gregorio has been featured at many Chicago poetry venues (and throughout the Mid-West)\, including readings with Fareed Haque\, (jazz guitarist)\, Guillermo Gómez-Peña (poet/author)\, Carlos Cortes (poet/labor activist)\, Luis Rodriguez (poet/author/publisher)\, Patricia Smith (poet/journalist). \nFeatured Readers \nMartin Rubio Jr was born and raised locally in Pilsen. He began writing poetry and prose early on\, and his first works appeared in the underground magazine called Zacapuntas. Early local influences were Carlos Cortez and Carlos Cumpian. As the work progressed\, he recited at places he would frequent as a spectator. Places like Cafe Jumping Bean\, Lit X\, and most recently Weeds. Currently\, he is a co-founder and resident writer at Blink Mob Studios\, on the southwest side of Chicago. Blink Mob Studios is an artist collective which consists of creative writing\, painting\, music\, and screen printing; and will combine these many different types of media to express art. His first poetry collection\, Introspection and Awakenings\, will be published in house and available in the summer of 2012. \n  \nNora Leon was born and raised in Chicago.  She moved to Puerto Rico and resided there for 7 years and after her return to Chicago\, graduated from Steinmetz High School and attended Wright College that same year.  She started working in the medical field in the year 2000 and is currently working at Mercy Hospital. Her passion for poetry and writing flourished while in Puerto Rico composing Hip Hop lyrics and performing at talent shows with her colleague Ray.  Her first performance in Chicago was at Weeds\, reading her very first poem named “The Ways”. Ms. Leon went into hiatus through the years 2008-2010 having multiple eye surgeries after enduring an injury causing her to lose some vision of her left eye.  During this time she had to re-adjust to a new life style being half blind.  Throughout her rehabilitation period she never lost her passion or drive for writing poetry\, photography or film. She made her comeback at Weeds participating in “The Best Off the Wall” poetry contest\, taking third place after performing her poem titled “Neptune’s Future”.  With her new found strength and confidence\, she is actively writing poetry and movie scripts.  Has created a poetry group online called “Punk Rock Poetry Society”; along with her brother Leonardo they own “Gear Punk Photography” and “Kiosk Notebooks”.  “Gear Punk Photography” specializes in portraits\, scenery shots\, photo and video editing; “Kiosk Notebooks” specializes in uniquely designing collages on composition notebooks which are sold online. Ms. Leon is grateful to be participating in her first feature reading at The Guild Complex\, Palabra Pura. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-lives-between-love-and-darkness/ LOCATION:La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs)\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura ORGANIZER;CN="":MAILTO:info@guildcomplex.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120321T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120321T193059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120223T020145Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120315T131335Z UID:633-1332358200-1332358259@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura "Forgiveness and Memory" DESCRIPTION:Curated by Yolanda Nieves with featured poets Lisa Alvarado & Kristiana Rae Colón \nCurator \nDr. Yolanda Nieves\, Assistant Professor\, English\, Wilbur Wright College Chicago\, is creative director of The Vida Bella Ensemble\, is part of Teatro Luna’s PlayLab series and her La Matadora/Steel Flags will be produced by Chicago’s Landmark Project Fall 2011. She won the American Educational Research Association’s 2010 Arts-Based Dissertation of the Year Award for the performance-text\, The Brown Girls’ Chronicles:  Puerto Rican Women & Resilience. Her degrees include a Ed.D.\, Master’s in Organizational Development\, and B.A. in English and Education. \nFeatured Readers \nLisa Alvarado is an educator\, poet\, novelist\, and journalist\, the founder of La Onda Negra Press\, author of Reclamo and The Housekeeper’s Diary; originally a book of poetry and now a one-woman performance. Her first novel\, Sister Chicas\, Penguin/NAL\, was released in April 2006. The novel is a coming of age story concerning the lives of three young Latinas living in Chicago. It won 2nd place\, Best First Novel in English. (Latino Literacy Now/2007) \nHer book of poetry\, Raw Silk Suture\, released by Floricanto Press in 2008\, was reviewed by Rigoberto Gonzalez. She has curated multimedia exhibits\, mounted her own multimedia piece\, Reclamo in the Pilsen art corridor in Chicago; and is currently a contributor to the nationally touring exhibit\, Re-imagining the Distaff Toolkit\, curated by Ricki Solinger/SUNY. \nLisa is the recipient of grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs\, The NEA\, and the Ragdale Foundation. In Fall\, 2009\, she was awarded Hispanic Author of the Year by the State of Illinois. In 2010\, she contributed to HaLapid\, The Journal for the Study of Crypto-Judaism. In 2011\, she contributed to Me No Habla with Acento\, edited by Emanuel Xaver\, and released by Rebel Sartori Press\, and Still\, Life\, essays and poetry. \nKristiana Rae Colón is a poet\, playwright\, actor\, and educator living and working in Chicago. She has been featured on Power 92\, WBEZ Chicago Public Radio\, WGN Radio\, and WZRD. Kristiana has rocked the mic at some of the Midwest’s top venues including the Park West\, the Metro\, the Star Plaza Theater\, the Aragon\, Victory Gardens Theater\, Darkroom\, Subterranean\, the Funky Buddha Lounge\, as well as venues across the nation and abroad. Kristiana has shared stages with highly acclaimed writers Marc Smith\, the creator of the worldwide ‘poetry slam’ phenomenon\, Haki Madhubuti\, Patricia Smith\, Sonia Sanchez\, Malik Yusef\, Kevin Coval\, Tara Betts\, and has opened for De La Soul\, Grammy-nominated band Ozomatli and internationally-acclaimed comedian Damon Williams. \nKristiana has served as an adjunct English and Humanities professor at Chicago State University\, Malcolm X College\, and Tribeca Flashpoint Academy. She is proud to have been nominated for a 2011 Pushcart Prize for her poem “severance” in Organs of Vision and Speech\, as well as see her work anthologized in Dzanc Books’ Best of the Web 2010 and Haven Books’ Not a Muse collection. Kristiana’s work is also featured in Saul Williams’ anthology\, Chorus: A Literary (Re)Mixtape\, released by MTV Publishing in Summer 2012. Other recent publications include Pank\, African American Review\, Diverse Voices Quarterly\, and the Logan Square Literary Review\, among several other online and print journals. Kristiana is also an Assistant Editor for Muzzle\, an online literary magazine. URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-forgivness-and-memory/ LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, 60622\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20120215T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20120215T230059 DTSTAMP:20260416T082740 CREATED:20120130T051616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20120130T053903Z UID:234-1329332400-1329346859@guildcomplex.org SUMMARY:Palabra Pura with Rey Andújar\, Jorge Frisancho and Juan Dicent (Bilingual Poetry) DESCRIPTION:Palabra Pura continues its 2012 season with its first guest-curator evening with open mic and featured readers. Tonight’s theme: Mutant Body/Cuerpo Migrante. The evening will present the body as a space for multiple questions related to the state of transition. What does the body leave behind in its translation/transfer? What does it acquire or adapt? In this sense language is an element that determines more than its sensory definition. \nCurator Rey Andújar (Santo Domingo 1977) has published narratives and works of theater since 2005. He studies within a laboratory that investigates the Dramaturgy of the Body. He currently lives in Chicago. \nFEATURED POETS\n\nJuan Dicent (a.k.a. Dino Bonao). This poet\, born in the Dominican Republic and located now in New York City\, maintains a hybrid body of written text addressing the concept of nationality through a Bilingual Performance that draws upon an interesting collection of socio-anthropological notes. Other works include: Happy New Year to You (Pequeñas Resistencias 4. Antología del nuevo cuento norteamericano y caribeño. Páginas de Espuma\, Spain\, 2005); Summertime (Editorial Shampoo\, Dom Rep\, 2006; Santiago Arcos Editor\, Argentina\, 2007; Editorial Universos\, Spain 2010); Poeta en Animal Planet (Editorial Vox\, Argentina 2007); My Uncle’s First Jeans (Textos de Cartón\, Argentina 2009); Monday Street (Editorial Cara de Cuis\, Argentina 2011). visit: www.blogworkorange.blogspot.com  and  www.podworkorange.com \nThe poetry of Jorge Frisancho navigates within the posture of the body in terms of its metaphysical character. His book Estudios sobre un cuerpo (Studies of a Body) explores the possibility of body-to-body journeys. The lyric structure of this poet\, who was born in Barcelona\, raised in Peru\, and who has lived in Chicago for some years\, is generous in its speech and extensive in its embrace; it denotes the body as a space for conflicts and opposing forces. \n  URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-with-rey-andujar-jorge-frisancho-and-juan-dicent-bilingual-poetry/ LOCATION:IL\, United States CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR