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SUMMARY:Palabra Pura: One Poet\, One Poem
DESCRIPTION:Event Registration + Open Mic Sign-Up\n\n\n\n\n\n\n¡Anímate! The Guild Literary Complex is happy to announce that our annual Palabra Pura: One Poet\, One Poem tradition is coming this July. \n\n\n\nAll poets are welcome to perform a poem\, whether it be in English or Spanish\, or both. See old friends and meet new ones\, enjoy delicious Puerto Rican food and drinks\, and listen to some wonderful bilingual poetry. Registration is free. \n\n\n\n——————————————————- \n\n\n\nGuild Literary Complex presenta nuestra tradición y evento anual\, Palabra Pura: Un Poeta\, Un Poema este julio. \n\n\n\nTodas las poetas están bienvenidos a compartir un poema\, en inglés\, español\, o ambos. Encuentra amigos nuevos y viejos\, disfruta la comida puertorriqueña y bebidas y escucha poesía bilingüe. Registro gratis. \n\n\n\nMC: Mary Hawley
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-one-poet-one-poem-4/
LOCATION:La Bruquena Restaurant\, 2726 W. Division\, Chicago\, IL\, 60622\, United States
CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250823T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250823T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250725T224229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250804T210523Z
UID:12510-1755950400-1755979200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Fountain Square LitFest
DESCRIPTION:Fountain Square | 1601 Sherman Ave. | Evanston\, IL \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBookends & Beginnings and the Guild Literary Complex present an afternoon of literary celebration on Saturday\, August 23rd\, from 12-8pm. Immerse yourself in author readings\, hands-on writing workshops\, bookmaking\, and live music in downtown Evanston. Whether you’re a seasoned writer\, an avid reader\, or simply looking to be inspired\, this festival centers around a dynamic community space to connect\, create\, and celebrate the written word in all its forms. \n\n\n\nAll events are located at Fountain Square\, unless otherwise noted.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKeynote Speaker:\n\n\n\nAngela Jackson \n\n\n\nOutgoing Illinois Poet Laureate  \n\n\n\n(1:00-1:45pm) \n\n\n\n\n\nREADINGS\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGuild Complex\n\n\n\n(2:00-2:45pm) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHelene Achanzar  \n\n\n\nJeremy Gordon  \n\n\n\nR.A. Villanueva  \n\n\n\nTyriek White \n\n\n\ncurated by Helene Achanzar \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRHINO\n\n\n\n(3:00-3:45pm) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiya Abbas \n\n\n\nNile Lansana  \n\n\n\nTimothy David Rey  \n\n\n\nMaja Teref & Steven Teref \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday Salon\n\n\n\n(5:00-5:45pm) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSimone Muench  \n\n\n\nApril Gibson  \n\n\n\nVincent Francone \n\n\n\nDina Elebogen  \n\n\n\ncurated by Ignatius Valentine Aloysius \n\n\n\n\n\nPlus Youth Poetry Reading (4:00-4:45pm) featuring Young Chicago Authors and Youth Poet Laureate Eila Kittikamron Mora \n\n\n\n& Children’s Reading presented by Mallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom (12:15-12:45pm) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWORKSHOPS\n\n\n\nPoetry: Kenyatta Rogers  \n\n\n\n1:00-2:30pm at Bookends & Beginnings [Register Here] \n\n\n\nGraphic Narrative & Comics: Nate Olison  \n\n\n\n3:00-4:30pm at Bookends & Beginnings [Register Here] \n\n\n\n\n\nLIVE MUSIC\n\n\n\nfrom Esso Funk \n\n\n\n(6:20-7:15pm) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout the Artists\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom\n\n\n\nMallory Raven-Ellen Backstrom is the founder and creator of Fairy Tales for Sunkissed Women. A poetic worldbuilder\, her passion for storytelling\, diverse representation\, mindfulness\, and mysticism shines through the universes she conjures on the page\, stage\, and canvas. An award-winning playwright\, author\, illustrator\, and teaching artist. Mallory’s play\, Cephianne’s Reflection\, received the prestigious L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award and the Jay Harris Commission from the Williamstown Theatre Festival\, where she is also an Artist in Residence. She’s an alumna of the Playwrights’ Unit at Goodman Theatre\, where her work has been developed in Future Labs and the New Stages Festival. Mallory has received the Chicago Esteemed Artist Award\, the B2B Arts grant\, is a 3Arts Make-A-Wave awardee\, and a Chicago Dramatists Tutterow Fellow. She was the inaugural Sullivan Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Illinois. CineCity Studios\, The Story Theatre\, Sideshow Theatre\, The Athena Project\, The New Coordinates Theatre\, and The Refracted Theatre Company have supported her plays. \n\n\n\n“A craftsman of the English language\,” Windy City Reviews praised her debut novel\, Reasons for Being. Going on to say\, “Mallory’s writing is as clear and beautiful as springtime in a meadow. You inhale the delicate natural musk to make it a part of your very being.” Her anticipated children’s book\, Let’s Catch a Happily Ever After\, is the first in her collection of Fairy Tales for Starkissed Children. Mallory has lectured at the University of California-Davis\, the University of Illinois\, Devil’s Daughter\, and Illinois Humanities. Her art has been showcased at The Freedom and Movement Gallery and The Breathing Room. Connect with her @fairytalesforsunkissedwomen and www.MalloryBackstrom.com \n\n\n\n\n\n— Guild Complex —\n\n\n\nHelene Achanzar \n\n\n\nHelene Achanzar is a poet and editor whose writing has appeared in The Georgia Review\, Sixth Finch\, Best New Poets\, and elsewhere. Winner of the 2022 New England Review Award for Emerging Writers\, her work has been supported by Bread Loaf\, the T.S. Eliot Foundation\, and the Chicago Architecture Biennial. She is a senior editor for Poetry Northwest\, Midwest Regional Chair for Kundiman\, and Director of Programs at the Chicago Poetry Center. \n\n\n\nJeremy Gordon \n\n\n\nJeremy Gordon is the author of See Friendship\, which was released in March by Harper Perennial. He’s a senior editor on the culture desk at The Atlantic\, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times\, GQ\, Pitchfork\, The Nation\, and The Outline. He lives in Brooklyn.  \n\n\n\nR.A. Villanueva \n\n\n\nR. A. Villanueva is the author of two collections of poetry: A Holy Dread\, winner of the Alice James Award (forthcoming in 2026) and Reliquaria (University of Nebraska Press\, 2014)\, winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize. New work has been featured by the Academy of American Poets and National Public Radio—and his writing appears widely in international publications such as Poetry London and The Poetry Review. His honors include commendations from the Forward Prizes\, and fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts. He lives in Brooklyn\, New York.  \n\n\n\nTyriek White \n\n\n\nTyriek White is a writer\, musician\, and educator from Brooklyn\, NY. He is the author of WE ARE A HAUNTING (Astra House\, 2023)\, winner of The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. The novel was also a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize and the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for Fiction; and longlisted for the Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize. In 2024\, he was named a National Book Foundation ‘5 Under 35’ honoree. He is currently the media director of Lampblack Literary Foundation\, which seeks to provide mutual aid and various resources to Black writers across the diaspora. \n\n\n\n— RHINO —\n\n\n\nNile Lansana\n\n\n\nNile Lansana is an interdisciplinary artist from the South Side of Chicago. An acclaimed writer\, poet\, performer\, and filmmaker\, his work is centered around revealing radical truths and amplifying marginalized voices and narratives through a lens of Black imagination and visionary intention. He is a nominee for the inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate position. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Journalism and English-Creative Writing. He is a nominee for the inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate. He won the 2021 Ronald Wallace Poetry Thesis Prize and 2020 George B Hill Poetry Prize. His work is published in American Gun: A Poem by 100 Chicagoans\, The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop\, & elsewhere. He holds fellowships from the Rebuild Foundation and Obsidian Foundation. He is a proud uncle and the oldest of four Black boys. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTimothy David Rey\n\n\n\nTimothy David Rey is a playwright\, poet\, and performer. His poetic play. .ZIP! was a 2023 semifinalist for the Eugene O Neill National Playwrights Conference. His poetry and creative writing have been exhibited at the Poetry Foundation\, Steppenwolf Theater Lookout Series\, Obsidian: The Literature of the African Diaspora\, RHINO Poetry (forthcoming)\, and Black Horse Review. He is a New City Magazine 2025 Lit 50 (People who really ‘book’ in Chicago.) \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMaja and Steven Teref\n\n\n\nSteven and Maja Teref’s translations include Ana Ristović’s Directions for Use\, shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award\, Best Translated Book Award\, and the National Translation Award\, and Novica Tadić’s Assembly. Their translations have appeared in The New Yorker\, Brooklyn Rail\, Columbia Journal\, and elsewhere. The Terefs’ latest book is Milena Marković’s sympathy for the salami\, a translated collection of her shorter poems\, which features two excerpts from Children. Steven is a co-editor with Aleksandar Bošković of Zenithism (1921–1927): A Yugoslav Avant-Garde Anthology. He is the editor for Academic Studies Press’ Companions to Slavic Literature series. Maja teaches at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools where she is also the faculty advisor for the student-run literary translation journal Ouroboros Review. The Teref’s are members of the Third Coast Translators Collective. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiya Abbas\n\n\n\nDiya Abbas is a first-generation Pakistani poet from the Midwest\, now living in New York. They were named the 2022 George B. Hill Poetry Prize Winner and the Lyman S.V. Judson Awardee in the Creative Arts. Her poems are forthcoming in North American Review\, Poetry Northwest\, and LAKEER Mag\, and have been featured in Hayden’s Ferry Review\, Foglifter\, Adroit\, The Offing\, BAHR Magazine\, Emerge Literary Journal\, RHINO\, and others. She studied Creative Writing and South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. \n\n\n\n\n\n— Sunday Salon —\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSimone Muench\n\n\n\nSimone Muench is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship and the author of seven full-length books\, including Lampblack & Ash (Sarabande; Kathryn A. Morton Prize)\, Wolf Centos (Sarabande)\, and The Under Hum (Black Lawrence Press\, 2024)\, co-written with Jackie K. White. She serves as faculty advisor for Jet Fuel Review\, a senior poetry editor for Tupelo Quarterly\, and poetry editor for Jackleg Press. She is the founder of the Hungry Brain Sunday Reading Series\, which she co-hosts with Kenyatta Rogers. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nApril Gibson\n\n\n\nApril Gibson is a poet\, writer\, and author of The Span of a Small Forever (Amistad/HarperCollins\, 2024)\, shortlisted for a Chicago Review of Books Award and Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago. Her work is also published in The Kenyon Review\, Michigan Quarterly Review\, Prairie Schooner and elsewhere. April is an Assistant Professor of English at Malcolm X College. \n\n\n\nWebsite: https://argpoetry.com/  \n\n\n\nInstagram: @poetmamawoman  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVincent Francone\n\n\n\nVincent Francone is the author of Like a Dog\, The Soft Lunacy\, and A Book No One Wants. He edited Open Heart Chicago: an Anthology of Chicago Writing and is Editor-in-Chief of Jabber Literary. His stray poems\, essays\, and stories have popped up online and in print thanks to various journals (New City\, Southword\, Three Percent\, Akashic Books\, to name a few).   \n\n\n\nwww.vincentfrancone.com  \n\n\n\nBluesky: @vincentfrancone.bsky.social‬ \n\n\n\nInstagram: @vincentfrancone  \n\n\n\nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/vincent.francone.7  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDina Elebogen\n\n\n\nDina Elenbogen is author of the poetry collections\, Shore (Glass Lyre Press) and Apples of the Earth\, (Spuyten Duyvil\, NY) as well as the memoir\, Drawn from Water. She’s received fellowships from the Illinois Arts Council and the Ragdale Foundation. Her work has appeared in anthologies and magazines including What the House Knows (Terrapin Books) City of the Big shoulders\, (University of Iowa Press) The Nature of our Times anthology\, Beyond Lament\, (Northwestern University Press)\, Lit Hub\, Bellevue Literary Review\, Brevity\, Prairie Schooner\, december\, Woven Tale Press\, Cimmaron Review\, Patterson Literary Review\, Connecticut River Review\,  New City Chicago and other venues. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago Writer’s Studio.  \n\n\n\nYou can find her at www.dinaelenbogen.com \n\n\n\n\n\n— Young Chicago Authors —\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEila Kittikamron Mora\n\n\n\nEila Kittikamron Mora is a Thai-Colombian American poet\, performer\, and promiser of the rainbow.  A playwright\, songwriter\, and screenwriter in her free time when she’s not dancing Salsa or acting\, her works draw on love and the body\, identity and language\, and coming-of-age. She is serving as the 2025 Chicago Youth Poet Laureate. She represents young queer people of color that are a little bit crazy\, but nonetheless persistent and unabashed. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIsaiah Allen\n\n\n\nHi! My name is Isaiah Allen but most call me Zay. I am 17 years of age\, I started writing plays\, songs\, poems\, and short films at the age of 15. I’m going into my senior year of High School where I am the captain of the Track team\, Peer leader to the freshman basketball team and I was the lead actor in this previous year’s fall musical. Alongside of those things\, I have created a website which gives facts about all the art I create and other aspects of my life which opens doors and opportunities for myself and people like me. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYarely Lopez\n\n\n\nMy name is Yaya\, and I’m in 10th grade. A fun fact about me is that I love collecting sneakers! \n\n\n\n\n\n— ESSO —\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nESSO Funk? Yes\, the Chicago-based bilingual dance band. Their kaleidoscopic approach to fusing Americana with Latin dance and Tropical groove has propelled them to tour\, performing for multicultural audiences on festival stages across the US\, and into Mexico. The live group keeps the vibration high while engaging all ages with inclusive energy and expansive musical range. Website: http://essofunk.com/ \n\n\n\n\n\n— Workshops —\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKenyatta Rogers \n\n\n\nKenyatta Rogers is a Cave Canem Fellow and has been awarded scholarships from the Breadloaf Writers’ Conference. His work has been previously published in or forthcoming from The Academy of American Poets\,  Poetry Magazine\, Jubilat\, Vinyl\, Bat City Review\, The Volta\, PANK\, MAKE Magazine among others. A Pushcart and Best of the Net nominee\, he is as a co-host of the Sunday Reading Series with Simone Muench and is the Creative Writing Department Head at The Chicago High School for the Arts.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNate Olison \n\n\n\nNate Olison is a Chicago-based educator\, artist and entrepreneur who’s been helping students harness the creative process to transform themselves and their environment for over 15 years. Through his company\, Optimist Comics\, he combines project based learning and visual storytelling to improve access to literacy. He’s a fiction writer\, poet\, and cartoonist. He is currently producing (both writing and drawing) The Fragile World of Mr. Frazzle\, a forthcoming YA graphic novel series about growing up and claiming your destiny against all odds. 
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/fountain-square-litfest/
LOCATION:IL
CATEGORIES:Special Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250907T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250907T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250828T165708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T165709Z
UID:12642-1757271600-1757282400@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Transvengence Vol. 9: Queer Pop-up
DESCRIPTION:Join us after Printers Row Lit Fest at Podlasie Club for TRANSVENGENCE: VOL. 9! Our regular show this month will close off the literary weekend with special performances following an audience open mic. \n\n\n\nHost: Joss Barton \n\n\n\nFeatured Artist: Joy Guidry \n\n\n\n\nDoors 7PM\n\n\n\nOpen Mic 8PM\n\n\n\nPerformances 9PM\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoy Guidry\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoy Guidry is a bassoonist\, versatile improviser\, performance artist\, and composer of experimental\, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling; Joy’s music channels her inner child in honor of their ancestors and predecessors. The San Diego Tribune has hailed her performances as “lyrical and haunting…hair-raising and unsettling.” \n\n\n\nJoy was born in Houston\, Texas\, into a creative family that has shaped who she is today. Joy has presented her original work at The Whitney Museum for American Art\, Hauser & Wirth\, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego\, The Kitchen\, Redcat\, among many other venues. She has been commissioned by The National Sawdust\, Long Beach Opera\, JACK Quartet\, Gaudeamus Festival\, and the I&I Foundation. Joy has been featured in festivals\, including the La Biennale di Venezia\, A’Larme Festival\, Cologne Jazz Week\, Spoleto Festival USA\, Big Ears Festival\, and many more. \n\n\n\nJoy holds a bachelor’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Mannes School of Music. In addition\, Joy Guidry is the winner of the 2021 Berlin Prize for Young Artists. She Is currently playing on a Heckel Bassoon number 6101.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/transvengence-vol-9/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room,Transvengence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Transvengence-Vol.-9.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250910T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250910T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250919T180404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T180937Z
UID:12681-1757530800-1757538000@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!
DESCRIPTION:Schedule\n6:30– Doors open/Sign Up7:00– Slam Starts8:30– Open Mic9:00– ¡ADIOS! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOpen to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting\, to anyone who has been writing for decades\, are all welcome to participate. \n\n\n\nRequirements:Slam– 2 poems in Spanish/SpanglishOpen Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! \n\n\n\nWe believe that poetry pertains to everyone\, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment\, play\, and to let the words flow. \n\n\n\nRemember: the point is not the points\, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community\, and invite new people to participate as audience members\, as poets\, and as spoken-word lovers. \n\n\n\nSlam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America\, to form a poetry community despite borders. \n\n\n\nParticipants and winners from last year can participate again! \n\n\n\n\n\n¡Abierto a poetas de todos estilos y edades! Desde quien apenas esta empezando a escribir\, a quienes llevan décadas escribiendo– todos están bienvenidos a participar. \n\n\n\nRequisitos:Slam– Dos poemas (en español/spanglish)Open Mic– Música/Poesía/Cuento etc\, en cualquier idioma \n\n\n\nCreemos que la poesía le pertenece a todxs\, y que todxs traemos poesía adentro. Este Slam es para experimentar\, jugar\, y dejar que la palabra fluya. \n\n\n\nRecuerden: el punto no son los puntos\, sino la comuna. Queremos crecer como comunidad poética\, e invitar a nuevas personas a participar como audiencia\, cómo poetas\, y cómo amantes de la palabra viva. \n\n\n\nSlam Diáspora es el primer slam de poesía en español de los EEUU y busca crear un espacio que une poetas Latinx en los EEUU con poetas en Latinoamérica para fomentar una comunidad poética a pesar de las fronteras. \n\n\n\n¡Participantes y ganadores del año pasado pueden participar de nuevo!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-2025/
LOCATION:PACH 21\, 2141 W 21st St\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/slam-en-vivo-2025.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20250930T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20250930T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250919T144533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T144534Z
UID:12677-1759257000-1759262400@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Women's Writers Showcase
DESCRIPTION:The Guild Complex and Haymarket Books feature six new books by six amazing\, local self- identifying female authors\, centering fiction\, poetry and short stories about the magic of water\, ancestral legacy\, grief\, longing and memory. A lineup not to be missed! Tickets here.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFeaturing: Virginia Bell was chosen for New City Magazine’s Lit 50: Who Really Books in Chicago for 2025 and Bell’s latest poetry collection is Lifting Child from the Ground\, Turning Around (Glass Lyre Press 2025). She is Co-Editor of the forthcoming anthology The Overturning (Erratics Books\, an imprint of Hypertext\, 2025)\, and Co-Editor of RHINO Poetry. Bell’s previous work includes From the Belly (Sibling Rivalry Press 2012)\, NELLE Magazine’s Nonfiction Prize in 2020 for the personal essay\, “Chicken\,” and Honorable Mention in the 2019 RiverSedge Poetry Prize\, judged by José Antonio Rodríguez. Bell has a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and teaches at Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University. \n\n\n\nEiren Caffall is an author and musician based in Chicago. Her writing on loss and nature\, oceans and extinction has appeared in Orion\, The Writer’s Digest\, Guernica\, The Los Angeles Review of Books\, Literary Hub\, Al Jazeera\, The Rumpus\, and the anthology Elementals: Volume IV: Fire (The Center for Humans and Nature\, 2024). She has received a 2023 Whiting Award in Creative Nonfiction\, a Social Justice News Nexus fellowship\, and residencies at the Banff Centre\, Millay Colony\, MacDowell Colony (waitlisted)\, Hedgebrook\, and Ragdale. She is the author of the memoir The Mourner’s Bestiary (Row House Publishing\, 2024) and the novel All the Water in the World (St. Martin’s Press\, 2025). \n\n\n\nMarcy Rae Henry is a multidisciplinary Xicana artist from the Borderlands who studied Buddhism\, meditation and massage in India and Nepal in between academic degrees. She is the author of death is a mariachi\, winner of the May Sarton NH Poetry Prize\, (Bauhan Press)\, when to go to the Taj Mahal (Bottlecap Press)\, the body is where it all begins (Querencia Press)\, dream life of night owls\, winner of the Open Country Chapbook Contest\, (Open Country Press)\, and We Are Primary Colors (DoubleCross Press). Her work has received a Chicago Community Arts Assistance Grant\, an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship\, a Pushcart nomination\, first prize in Suburbia’s Novel Excerpt Contest and Kaveh Akbar recently chose her fiction collection\, Southwest Stories: Martinis and the Magnetic Poles\, as a finalist for the George Garrett Fiction Prize. MRae is a professor of English\, literature and creative writing at Wilbur Wright College Chicago\, a Hispanic Serving Institution. She is an associate editor for RHINO and a digital minimalist with no social media accounts. \n\n\n\nI.S. Jones is the author of Bloodmercy\, chosen by Nicole Sealey as the winner of the 2025 APR / Honickman First Book Prize and the chapbook Spells of My Name\, selected by Newfound in 2021 for their Emerging Writers Series. Currently\, she is a Senior Editor for Poetry Northwest\, where she runs her column\, The Legacy Suite\, a three-part interview documenting the journey of writers publishing their debut poetry collections. Her works have appeared in Granta\, LA Review of Books\, Guernica\, Prairie Schooner\, The Rumpus\, and elsewhere. While she has lived in many places across the U.S.\, she gratefully calls Chicago home. \n\n\n\nMaud Lavin is the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Feminist Award for scholarship from the College Art Association of America. Lavin is a key pioneer in the field of feminist art history and visual studies. She is the author of numerous books including the first English-language book on Berlin Dada artist Hannah Hoch\, Cut with the Kitchen Knife: The Weimar Photomontages of Hannah Hoch\, and most recently\, Boys’ Love\, Cosplay\, and Androgynous Idols: Queer Fan Cultures in Mainland China\, Hong Kong\, and Taiwan\, co-edited with Ling Yang and Jamie Zhao. \n\n\n\nSahar Mustafah’s debut novel The Beauty of Your Face was named a 2020 Notable Book and Editor’s Choice by New York Times Book Review and one of Marie Claire Magazine’s 2020 Best Fiction by Women. Her award-winning short stories have been recently featured in Prairie Schooner\, The Massachusetts Review\, and Redline: Chicago Horror Stories. Her second novel\, The Slightest Green\, is forthcoming this November from Interlink Books. Mustafah writes and teaches outside of Chicago.***We ask that all attendees wear masks in the event space during the program for the health and well-being of the speaker and other guests. We will also have a reception following the event with light refreshments.***
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/womens-writers-showcase/
LOCATION:Haymarket House\, 800 W. Buena Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois
CATEGORIES:Special Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Women-Writers-Showcase-2025-e1758292296548.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251002T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251002T203000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250918T033743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T033744Z
UID:12663-1759429800-1759437000@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:GBOMA 2025
DESCRIPTION:The Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards (GBOMA) is returning for its 31st year! GBOMA is an annual poetry competition founded by Gwendolyn Brooks\, Illinois’ third Poet Laureate. This year\, the top contestants were selected by guest judge Dan “Sully” Sullivan\, and are invited to perform their original poems at this live finals event on October 2\, where the audience favorite is awarded the $500 prize.Come out and support the 2025 finalists for the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards (GBOMA) as they perform their works live.  Join us for an all-ages event of poetry and community. \n\n\n\n\n2025 GBOMA Finalists \n\n\n\n\n\nBarbara BarrowsChirskira CaillouetMars April CaultonSylvia EwingLisa FarverRocio FrancoGregorio GomezCrystal Vance Guerra \n\n\n\n\n\nWesley Frazier KeysMiguel MarzanaCiara MillerHilesh PatelSayeda QaderSandra SantiagoSamina Hadi-TabassumKara Rose Trojan
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/gboma-2025/
LOCATION:Epiphany Center for the Arts\, 201 South Ashland Ave.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60647\, United States
CATEGORIES:GBOMA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251008T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251008T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20250919T181943Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T062316Z
UID:12696-1759950000-1759957200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!
DESCRIPTION:Schedule\n\n6:30– Doors open/Sign Up7:00– Slam Starts8:30– Open Mic9:00– ¡ADIOS! \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nOpen to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting\, to anyone who has been writing for decades\, are all welcome to participate. \n\n\n\nRequirements:Slam– 2 poems in Spanish/SpanglishOpen Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! \n\n\n\nWe believe that poetry pertains to everyone\, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment\, play\, and to let the words flow. \n\n\n\nRemember: the point is not the points\, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community\, and invite new people to participate as audience members\, as poets\, and as spoken-word lovers. \n\n\n\nSlam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America\, to form a poetry community despite borders. \n\n\n\nParticipants and winners from last year can participate again! \n\n\n\n\n\n¡Abierto a poetas de todos estilos y edades! Desde quien apenas esta empezando a escribir\, a quienes llevan décadas escribiendo– todos están bienvenidos a participar. \n\n\n\nRequisitos:Slam– Dos poemas (en español/spanglish)Open Mic– Música/Poesía/Cuento etc\, en cualquier idioma \n\n\n\nCreemos que la poesía le pertenece a todxs\, y que todxs traemos poesía adentro. Este Slam es para experimentar\, jugar\, y dejar que la palabra fluya. \n\n\n\nRecuerden: el punto no son los puntos\, sino la comuna. Queremos crecer como comunidad poética\, e invitar a nuevas personas a participar como audiencia\, cómo poetas\, y cómo amantes de la palabra viva. \n\n\n\nSlam Diáspora es el primer slam de poesía en español de los EEUU y busca crear un espacio que une poetas Latinx en los EEUU con poetas en Latinoamérica para fomentar una comunidad poética a pesar de las fronteras. \n\n\n\n¡Participantes y ganadores del año pasado pueden participar de nuevo! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-2025-2/
LOCATION:Taqueria El Mezquite\, 1756 W 18th St\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/slam-en-vivo-2025.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251101T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251101T190000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T072052Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T072052Z
UID:15018-1762018200-1762023600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Halloween weekend for a presentation of the new anthology by From Beyond Press\, Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories. Contributors Jotham Austin II\, Bendi Barrett\, Tina Jenkins Bell\, Priya Chand\, Aleco Julius\, Sahar Mustafah\, and K.A. Roy join the Guild Literary Complex for a reading and signing at Experimental Station. \n\nAbout the Anthology\nThe Second City is second to none when it comes to terror.\nFrom H.H. Holmes\, America’s first serial killer\, to the Jane Byrne Interchange at rush hour\, there’s an ill wind blowing through the Windy City. In this new anthology\, twenty stories by twenty authors from the Chicago area take you on a bloodcurdling tour of the best city in the world. Featuring new stories by Jotham Austin II\, Bendi Barrett\, Tina Jenkins Bell\, Priya Chand\, TJ Cimfel\, R.L. Gehringer\, Christopher Hawkins\, Sandra Jackson-Opoku\, Aleco Julius\, Nick Medina\, Jen Mierisch\, Sahar Mustafah\, Cynthia Pelayo\, K.A. Roy\, K. Saab\, C.J. Subko\, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.\, and Lauren Emily Whalen. \n10% of sales will be donated to Brave Space Alliance\, a south side Chicago center that provides services\, programs\, and an affirming space where trans and LGBQ+ people are centered.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/red-line-chicago-horror-stories/
LOCATION:Experimental Station\, 6100 S. Blackstone (take Dorchester to 61st street then head east; free street and lot parking)\, Chicago\, IL\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/guild-complex-flyer.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251102T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251102T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T054920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T060132Z
UID:14962-1762110000-1762117200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Write That Down! Show & Tell
DESCRIPTION:Write That Down! invites you to our first “Show and Tell” presented by Chicago’s Guild Literary Complex. SHOW a keepsake that’s dear to you\, a favorite bit of junk\, or a cute knick knack; then TELL a story about your artifact and why it’s important to you. \nThe evening will begin with an open mic and archiving session\, followed by selected readings from past (and future) mag contributors. Attendees are encouraged to bring ephemera and memorabilia that they would like scanned/archived for inclusion in the magazine’s upcoming Autumn/Winter issue. \n\nAbout Write That Down!\nWrite That Down! is an archival project and magazine capturing the particulars of our current moment\, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages. If it matters to you\, write it down!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/wtd1/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/11.2_WTD-Invite-Poster-scaled.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251112T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251112T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T062200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T062516Z
UID:14982-1762972200-1762981200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!
DESCRIPTION:The first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person! Participants have a chance to win a trip to a Latin American country (TBD) to compete in the international slam. Hosted and curated by Crystal Vance Guerra and Luis Tubens “Logan Lu.” \nOpen to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting\, to anyone who has been writing for decades\, are all welcome to participate. \nRequirements:\nSlam– 2 poems in Spanish/Spanglish\nOpen Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! \nWe believe that poetry pertains to everyone\, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment\, play\, and to let the words flow. \nRemember: the point is not the points\, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community\, and invite new people to participate as audience members\, as poets\, and as spoken-word lovers.\nSlam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America\, to form a poetry community despite borders. Participants and winners from last year can participate again! \n\n¡Abierto a poetas de todos estilos y edades! Desde quien apenas esta empezando a escribir\, a quienes llevan décadas escribiendo– todos están bienvenidos a participar. \nRequisitos:\nSlam– Dos poemas (en español/spanglish)\nOpen Mic– Música/Poesía/Cuento etc\, en cualquier idioma \nCreemos que la poesía le pertenece a todxs\, y que todxs traemos poesía adentro. Este Slam es para experimentar\, jugar\, y dejar que la palabra fluya. \nRecuerden: el punto no son los puntos\, sino la comuna. Queremos crecer como comunidad poética\, e invitar a nuevas personas a participar como audiencia\, cómo poetas\, y cómo amantes de la palabra viva.\nSlam Diáspora es el primer slam de poesía en español de los EEUU y busca crear un espacio que une\npoetas Latinx en los EEUU con poetas en Latinoamérica para fomentar una comunidad poética a pesar de las fronteras. ¡Participantes y ganadores del año pasado pueden participar de nuevo!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-2025-3/
LOCATION:Taqueria El Mezquite\, 1756 W 18th St\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Untitled-design-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251203T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251203T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T062950Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T062950Z
UID:14987-1764786600-1764795600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!
DESCRIPTION:Last chance!\nJoin us for the final Slam Diáspora of 2025 – the first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago. Participants have a chance to win a trip to a Latin American country (TBD) to compete in the international slam. Hosted and curated by Crystal Vance Guerra and Luis Tubens “Logan Lu.” \nOpen to poets of all styles and ages! From anyone who is just starting\, to anyone who has been writing for decades\, are all welcome to participate. \nRequirements:\nSlam– 2 poems in Spanish/Spanglish\nOpen Mic– Any genre of performance art in any language! \nWe believe that poetry pertains to everyone\, and that all of us carry it within us. This slam is to experiment\, play\, and to let the words flow. \nRemember: the point is not the points\, the point is the community. We want to nurture a poetic community\, and invite new people to participate as audience members\, as poets\, and as spoken-word lovers.\nSlam Diáspora is the first Spanish slam in the U.S. and aims to create a space that unites Latinx poets in the US with poets in Latin America\, to form a poetry community despite borders. Participants and winners from last year can participate again! \n\n¡Abierto a poetas de todos estilos y edades! Desde quien apenas esta empezando a escribir\, a quienes llevan décadas escribiendo– todos están bienvenidos a participar. \nRequisitos:\nSlam– Dos poemas (en español/spanglish)\nOpen Mic– Música/Poesía/Cuento etc\, en cualquier idioma \nCreemos que la poesía le pertenece a todxs\, y que todxs traemos poesía adentro. Este Slam es para experimentar\, jugar\, y dejar que la palabra fluya. \nRecuerden: el punto no son los puntos\, sino la comuna. Queremos crecer como comunidad poética\, e invitar a nuevas personas a participar como audiencia\, cómo poetas\, y cómo amantes de la palabra viva.\nSlam Diáspora es el primer slam de poesía en español de los EEUU y busca crear un espacio que une\npoetas Latinx en los EEUU con poetas en Latinoamérica para fomentar una comunidad poética a pesar de las fronteras. ¡Participantes y ganadores del año pasado pueden participar de nuevo!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-2025-4/
LOCATION:Taqueria El Mezquite\, 1756 W 18th St\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/slam-4.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20251207T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T063851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T071222Z
UID:14993-1765134000-1765144800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Transvengence Vol. 10: Holiday Edition
DESCRIPTION:Join us again at Podlasie Club for our recurring open mic/performance series\, TRANSVENGENCE VOL.10! Our regular show this month brings a special holiday twist with guest performances by Celeste\, Noa Micaela Fields\, and your hostess\, Joss Barton. The show will follow a community open mic by audience members. \n\nDoors 7PM\nOpen Mic 8PM\nPerformances 9PM\n\n\nÁle Campos (Celeste)\n\nÁle Campos aka Celeste is a multidisciplinary artist and performance maker whose elastic studio\npractice is anchored in the vernacular of drag. They generate live performance works that are often\nrhapsodic and mediated by technology\, unfolding from and into the mediums of sculpture\, sound\, text\,\nvideo and installation. Their work dissects perception\, queer relationality\, self-imagination and the\nmechanics of drag itself. They perform and present work across various contexts\, merging the borders\nbetween the art world and queer nightlife. \n\nNoa Micaela Fields (Nomi)\n\nNoa Micaela Fields aka Nomi is an echodeviant enjambment queen (trans poet with hearing aids). She\ncurates readings at the Poetry Foundation\, edits for Chrysalis (a trans youth literary magazine)\, and\ndisemvowels on dance floors. Her debut collection (poetry\, not fashion\, but not not fashion) E is out\nnext month from Nightboat Books.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/transvengence-vol-10/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room,Transvengence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Transvengeance-Christmas-Instagram-Post.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260111T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260111T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T060021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T060021Z
UID:14969-1768158000-1768165200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Write That Down! Show & Tell
DESCRIPTION:Write That Down! invites you to the second of our monthly “Show & Tell” series at Podlasie Club in partnership with Chicago’s Guild Literary Complex. \nSHOW a keepsake that’s dear to you\, a favorite bit of junk\, or a cute knick knack; then TELL a story about your artifact and why it’s meaningful. The evening will begin with an open mic and archiving session\, followed by selected readings from past (and future) mag contributors. Attendees are encouraged to bring ephemera and memorabilia that they would like scanned/archived for inclusion in the magazine’s upcoming Autumn/Winter issue.\nP.S. We heard a rumor there might be puppets… \n  \nAbout Write That Down!\nWrite That Down! is an archival project and magazine capturing the particulars of our current moment\, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages. If it matters to you\, write it down!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/wtd2/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20260111_WTD_JanShowTell_1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260201T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260201T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T060922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T060922Z
UID:14977-1769972400-1769979600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Write That Down! Show & Tell
DESCRIPTION:Write That Down! is hosting a very special LOVE themed Show & Tell for February! Bring a keepsake that celebrates love in your life be it platonic\, romantic\, or some secret third thing. \nThis is the third of our monthly “Show & Tell” series at Podlasie Club in partnership with Chicago’s Guild Literary Complex. \nSHOW a keepsake that’s dear to you\, a favorite bit of junk\, or a cute knick knack; then TELL a story about your artifact and why it’s meaningful. The evening will begin with an open mic and archiving session\, followed by selected readings from past (and future) mag contributors. \nAttendees are encouraged to bring ephemera and memorabilia that they would like scanned/archived for inclusion in the magazine’s upcoming Autumn/Winter issue. \n  \nAbout Write That Down!\nWrite That Down! is an archival project and magazine capturing the particulars of our current moment\, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages. If it matters to you\, write it down!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/wtd3/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/wtd-invite-feb-10-1-scaled.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260207T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260207T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260327T070959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T071331Z
UID:15000-1770487200-1770498000@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:MOJO&MUSE: A Performance Speakeasy
DESCRIPTION:Get ready to experience a night of magic and creativity at MOJO&MUSE – where art comes to life! A special speakeasy of art and community. \nJoin us for an exciting night of community and art in the beautiful space of Watershed Art & Ecology. The MOJO&MUSE speakeasy will present an evening of special performances of dance\, video\, poetry\, music\, and more! Live entertainment and light refreshments will be provided. \n\nFEATURED ARTISTS\n\nMarisela-Raymi Dalila Tapia (left) is a Peruvian-American dance theater artist with a rich background in exploring the intersections of art\, language\, culture\, and identity. With 15 years of experience in studying\, performing\, and teaching dance\, Marisela has left her artistic mark in cities like Chicago\, New York\, New México\, Perú\, Spain\, and Italy.\nHer artistic journey began at Columbia College Chicago\, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts in 2014. Marisela later obtained a master’s degree in Linguistics Applied to Spanish as a Foreign Language from the University of Nebrija in Madrid\, Spain. With over four years of teaching experience in both English and Spanish\, Marisela has served as a North American Language Cultural ambassador and has taught language classes online.\nIn the realm of dance\, Marisela has received training from master flamenco artists in Spain and has showcased her talents in various international performances. Notable achievements include winning first place at the Flamenco certamen through the Carlota Santana dance company at Lincoln Center in 2015 and headlining and directing performances in top Chicago venues. Her collaborations with renowned organizations\, such as Clinard Dance Theater in Chicago\, have led to performances at prestigious venues like the Logan Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Chicago.\nMarisela’s dance repertoire extends beyond flamenco\, encompassing ballet\, modern dance\, salsa\, and traditional Latin and Peruvian folkloric dances. She maintains a strong connection with her cultural heritage\, evident in her participation in traditional Peruvian folklore performances. \nKao Ra Zen (right) is a Chicago-based rapper\, spoken word poet\, multimedia performance artist\, video director\, recording engineer\, curator\, photographer\, and educator. Kao has performed and/or curated at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art\, Symphony Center\, DANK-Haus\, Elastic Arts\, Constellation\, Alhambra Palace\, Oliva Gallery\, and Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago; in addition to performances and screenings in New York; Berlin\, Germany; and turku\, Finland. Kao earned his Associate in Fine Arts degree from Harold Washington College and then earned his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.\nMuch of Kao’s written\, musical\, and performance work addresses historical and contemporary societal concerns\, existential matters\, and promotes self expression\, fostering community\, and challenging oppressive systems and intolerant perspectives. \n  \n\n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nMark Nagy (left) and Neil Jendon (right) have been working in the electroacoustic medium as a duo since 2017. Collectively known as Legendary Ninja Monk\, they have been exploring and recording the graphic score Treatise by Cornelius Cardew. This epic graphic score is 193 pages long. This extensive structural investigation has fostered in depth explorations of timbral densities\, temporal manipulations\, as well as the investigations of regenerative textures. Legendary Ninja Monk music ranges from introspective musings to capricious romps. \n  \n\nChristophe Preissing is a sound composer\, intermedia artist\, improvisor\, producer\, and creative instigator whose work engages the contradictions of liminality\, memory and decay\, perception and projection\, and preservation and loss. He uses archives\, mapping\, and taxonomies to produce clouds of meaning to engage participants. His work—both intentional and indeterminate—relies on paradox and ambiguity\, found and built objects\, individual and embodied memory\, and the happy accident. cpreissing.bandcamp.com \n  \n\nLucia Peters aka Forstreuter is a seasoned dance artist with 15 years of experience\, having performed at prestigious events such as the Bauhaus Museum Dessau’s opening\, attended by Angela Merkel\, and in front of 12\,000 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin apart from having worked for the state theatre Rostock\, Germany and touring with dance company “haptip hide” by Paula Rosolen. She holds a diploma in dance (2009) and an MA in choreography (2020) from Palucca University of Dance in Dresden. Her choreographic works have been featured at the American Dance Festival and HELLERAU European Center for the Arts. Lucia is also the co-founder of the collectives “t.error&delicious//Lucia+guests”\, and “LIVALUCIA” which showcases performances in theatres\, galleries\, and public spaces. Trained in the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) method from New York City\, she has applied this approach to bring dance education to public schools in Germany and has collaborated with NGOs like “I AM YOU” to develop dance practices for refugees. Her dedication has earned her multiple scholarships\, including the Palucca and Esther-Arnhold-Seligmann Scholarships\, the latter of which supported her participation in the American Dance Festival. \n  \n\nMe’Chelle (She/Her) is a mother\, spoken word poet\, musician and teaching artist. She is driven by a passion to entertain\, enlighten\, and inspire positive change in her community. Her poem “Lumiere” was recently featured at the Lumiere Gala for MSV Chicago (Spring 2023). Her poem “Dark Haunts” was featured in Bone Bouquet magazine (Winter 2020). She works as an instructor of the Marillac rap & poetry program through After School Matters. Me’Chelle is a genuine soul\, with an ambitious nature and passion for mentorship. She works to change many lives for the better within her lifespan.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/mojomuse-a-performance-speakeasy/
LOCATION:Watershed Art & Ecology\, 1821 S. Racine Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260318T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260318T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260303T230243Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T054959Z
UID:13661-1773860400-1773871200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Palabra Pura
DESCRIPTION:Poetry open mic hosted by Diego Báez. Featuring performances by Angelica Julia Dávila\, Loren Maria Guay\, and Yazud E. Brito-Milian.\n\n\nPalabra Pura is a bilingual reading series that promotes literary expression in Spanish\, English\, and/or other languages. Launched in 2006\, the series celebrates the work of Latinx writers in Chicago and beyond\, and provides a space for the interaction of diverse voices\, ideas\, and aesthetics. \n—————————————————————————- \nPalabra Pura es una serie de lecturas bilingües que promueve la expresión literaria en español\, inglés y otros idiomas. Lanzada en 2006\, la serie celebra la obra de escritores latinx dentro y fuera de Chicago\, y provee un espacio para la interacción de voces\, ideas y estéticas diversas.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/palabra-pura-9/
LOCATION:18th Street Casa de Cultura\, 2057 West 18th Street\, Chicago\, IL\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260321T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260321T163000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260315T070422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T055051Z
UID:13927-1774105200-1774110600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Digital Archives of the Unseen: Artist Talk
DESCRIPTION:Artist Talk: Memory\, Erasure\, and the Living Archive\n\n\nInterdisciplinary\, interdimensional artist\, writer\, and ritual maker Faylita Hicks joins Walls Turned Sideways Gallery\, a nationally recognized space centering art\, justice\, and incarceration\, co-sponsored by the Guild Literary Complex\, for an artist talk on memory\, erasure\, and the politics of archiving. \nDrawing from Digital Archives of the Unseen\, Hicks discusses poetry as archival technology and the use of found digital media\, obsolete devices\, and ritual practice to examine surveillance\, disappearance\, testimony\, and collective remembrance. The talk explores how personal and communal memory is preserved\, distorted\, or erased—particularly through systems of incarceration and state power. \nThis conversation offers critical and historical context for the exhibition while inviting audiences to consider how archives live\, fail\, and resist.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/digital-archives-of-the-unseen-artist-talk/
LOCATION:Walls Turned Sideways\, 2717 West Madison Street\, Chicago\, IL\, 60612\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260319T174328Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T055129Z
UID:14325-1774724400-1774735200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Write That Down! Autumn/Winter Launch Party
DESCRIPTION:Write That Down! Mag is back with their new Autumn/Winter Issue and we want to celebrate with you!\n\n\nRSVP ON PARTYCLICK \nWrite That Down! is an archival project capturing the particulars of our current moment\, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages. If it matters to you\, write it down. \nCome through\, pregame\, and get a free copy of the mag 🙂 \nThis party is taking place in a 3rd floor walk-up. \nPlease respect the space and BYOB. \n  \nCONGRATS to co-founder/editor of Write That Down! Magazine\, Charlie Kolodziej\, named one of the 35 Writers to Watch. Join the Guild Complex in celebrating the writers at our special event next month.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/write-that-down-autumn-winter-launch-party/
LOCATION:1902 N Milwaukee Ave\, 1902 North Milwaukee Avenue\, Chicago\, IL\, 60647\, United States
CATEGORIES:Press Room
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260421T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260316T071711Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T055214Z
UID:14021-1776798000-1776805200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:New/Next Writers Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Celebrate a next generation of writers with us who’ve recently come out with new books.\n \nThis showcase aims to highlight local writers and their new/upcoming work.\n \nJoin us for a community reading featuring local Chicago writers:\n\n\nMeredith Nnoka \nNoa Fields \nMeghan Malachi \nLisa Low \nNoel Quiñones \nKameryn Carter \nNatasha Mijares
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/new-next-writers-showcase/
LOCATION:Haymarket House\, 800 W. Buena Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois
CATEGORIES:Special Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260426T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260426T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260410T192742Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T211602Z
UID:15041-1777230000-1777237200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Write That Down! Show & Tell
DESCRIPTION:Write That Down! Mag invites you to “Show & Tell” presented by Chicago’s Guild Literary Complex.\n\n\n\n\nWrite That Down! is back with a special edition of our Show & Tell series in tandem with Promise(d)\, the first exhibition curated by Teddy Sandler at Evoke Gallery. This group show explores destiny and manifests a collective dream through visualizations of growth in times of decay. \nSHOW a keepsake that’s dear to you\, a favorite bit of junk\, or a cute knick knack; then TELL a story about your artifact and why it’s important to you. BYOB. \n\n\nThe evening will begin with an open mic and archiving session\, followed by selected readings from past (and future) mag contributors. Attendees are encouraged to bring ephemera and memorabilia that they would like scanned/archived for inclusion in the magazine’s upcoming Summer/Winter issue. \nAbout Write That Down! \nWrite That Down! is an archival project and magazine capturing the particulars of our current moment\, both here in Chicago and in the world at large. The goal is to gather everyday artifacts that tell stories about what is important to us and our communities. There is no memento too big or local story too small for these pages. If it matters to you\, write it down! \n 
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/wtd4/
LOCATION:Evoke Gallery\, 3040 N Central Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60634\, United States
CATEGORIES:Press Room
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260429T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260429T200000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260402T200613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T200713Z
UID:15026-1777487400-1777492800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Poem as Autobiography Workshop w/ Angela Jackson
DESCRIPTION:Join us during National Poetry Month for a special online workshop series with 5th Illinois Poet Laureate\, Angela Jackson!\nPoem as Autobiography is a virtual course designed to explore and illuminate moments of life in individual poems and the evolution of the self in invaluable collage. Poem as well as personal myths and folk tales will be examined. \nBecause autobiography is rooted in African American literary traditions and many African American poets’ powerful and deeply engaging work remains generally unrecognized and un-respected\, we will present the writing of African American as well as other poets as guides and inspiration. The atmosphere of the workshop will be collegial\, critical and informal. \n  \n\n\nCourse Schedule\nWednesdays: \nApril 29 \nMay 6 \nMay 13 \nMay 20 \n6:30 – 8:00PM \n  \n\n\nBooks of Reference\nCarolyn Rodgers – “How I got ovah” \nLucille Clifton – “good times” \nRobert Hayden – “Angle of Ascent” \n  \nInternet & Zoom setup is needed for each class. \nTuition is $50.  \nSeats are limited!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/poem-as-autobiography/
LOCATION:IL
CATEGORIES:Workshop
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260430T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260325T052803Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T140459Z
UID:14775-1777575600-1777582800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:35 Writers to Watch: Celebration Party
DESCRIPTION:The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago\, and whose work reflects the spirit and values of the Guild Complex today. Names were put forth by our folks from our diverse literary network of writers and organizers from across Chicago’s geographies and communities (and beyond). \nJoin us in the Catacombs at Epiphany Center for the Arts for an exciting party and social to celebrate these authors\, enjoy music\, refreshments\, fellowship\, and the opportunity to rub elbows with emerging literary icons you’ll be proud to say you knew when. \nPurchase tickets (required) here. Includes 1 free drink.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch/
LOCATION:Epiphany Center for the Arts\, 201 South Ashland Ave.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60647\, United States
CATEGORIES:Writers to Watch
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260607T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260607T190000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260316T071712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T055252Z
UID:14024-1780833600-1780858800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:BrooksDay 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join the Guild Literary Complex’s annual celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks\, held every year on her birthday\, June 7th.\n\n\nBrooksDay is the Guild Literary Complex’s annual celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks\, held every year on June 7th\, the anniversary of her birth. \n  \nSince 2013\, BrooksDay has been a marquee event in the Guild’s yearly calendar with many literary\, cultural\, and civic leaders from Chicago—and beyond—taking the stage to celebrate and honor Gwendolyn Brooks\, former poet laureate of Illinois and the first African American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize. \nBrooksDay honors her legacy as an artist and an iconic figure of generosity and civic conscience in Chicago and the nation.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/brooksday-2026/
LOCATION:Harold Washington Library Center\, Chicago Public Library\, 400 South State Street\, Chicago\, IL\, 60605\, United States
CATEGORIES:BrooksDay
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260614T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260614T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T202349
CREATED:20260316T071713Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T055320Z
UID:14026-1781467200-1781474400@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Transvengence Vol. 12
DESCRIPTION:Join us during Pride Month for TRANSVENGENCE\, our bimonthly open mic and performance series\, hosted by Joss Barton.\n\n\nJoin us during Pride Month for TRANSVENGENCE\, our bimonthly open mic and performance series\, hosted by Joss Barton. Featured performers TBA.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/transvengence-vol-12/
LOCATION:Podlasie Club\, 2918 N Central Park Ave.\, Chicago\, Illinois\, 60618
CATEGORIES:Press Room,Transvengence
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