“Unnatural Spaces” – a new project from the Poetry Performance Incubator
Hairpin Arts Center 2800 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, United StatesPoetry meets the stage in the new show by the Guild’s Poetry Performance Incubator. Collaboratively written by an ensemble of poets and performers, this piece tackles the humor, outrage and other mixed feelings of thinking about the environment while living in a city. Shows on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, October 5th - 28th at 7pm. […]
2012 Prose Awards for Short Fiction and Non-Fiction – Recognition Event
Chopin Theatre 1543 W. Division (near Milwaukee and Ashland), Chicago, IL, United StatesThe Guild Literary Complex's Prose Awards (short fiction and non-fiction) help to surface emerging and mid-career prose writers and bring them to the public's attention through an open call for submissions and judged competition. Past judges have included luminaries such as Stuart Dybek, Alex Kotlowitz, Antonya Nelson, and Sam Weller. On October 24, we will […]
Congratulations to the 2012 Prose Awards Finalists!
Chopin Theatre 1543 West Division Street, Chicago, United StatesCongratulations to following finalists of the 2012 Prose Awards (fiction and non-fiction)! Fiction Claire Bartlett Jason Lee Brown Sahar Mustafah Non-Fiction Suzanne Scanlon Ingrida Martinkus Jane Hertenstein This year's finalists were chosen by judges Amina Gautier and David Lazar. Please join us as we reveal the winners on October 24, 7:30 […]
“Unnatural Spaces” – a new show from the Poetry Performance Incubator
Hairpin Arts Center 2800 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, United StatesPoetry meets the stage in the new show by the Guild’s Poetry Performance Incubator. Collaboratively written by an ensemble of poets and performers, this piece tackles the humor, outrage and other mixed feelings of thinking about the environment while living in a city. Shows on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, October 5th - 28th at 7pm. […]
“Unnatural Spaces” – a new show from the Poetry Performance Incubator
Hairpin Arts Center 2800 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, United StatesPoetry meets the stage in the new show by the Guild’s Poetry Performance Incubator. Collaboratively written by an ensemble of poets and performers, this piece tackles the humor, outrage and other mixed feelings of thinking about the environment while living in a city. Shows on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, October 5th - 28th at 7pm. […]
“Unnatural Spaces” – a new project from the Poetry Performance Incubator
Hairpin Arts Center 2800 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL, United StatesPoetry meets the stage in the new show by the Guild’s Poetry Performance Incubator. Collaboratively written by an ensemble of poets and performers, this piece tackles the humor, outrage and other mixed feelings of thinking about the environment while living in a city. Shows on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, October 5th - 28th at 7pm. […]
Palabra Pura: “Rooster Footed Devils”
La Bruquena 2726 W. Division, 2nd floor, Chicago, IL, United StatesThis 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. Beatriz J Ruiz was born and raised in Chicago and Guanajuato. She is a […]
PALABRA PURA: “One Poet / One Poem”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floor, Select a Country:PALABRA PURA: "ONE POET / ONE POEM" Wednesday, Janurary 16, 7:30pm, FREELa Bruquena Restaurant (Upstairs), 2726 W. Division The Guild Literary Complex is pleased to kick off the eighth season of PALABRA PURA with "One Poet / One Poem". Join us as past readers retake the stage to share their work in Spanish, English, or a combination […]
Palabra Pura: “Weather / Whether”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floor, Select a Country: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 […]
Applied Words: “A Night of Love”
Fulton Street Collective 2000 W Fulton S, Select a Country:THE GUILD LITERARY COMPLEX and CHICAGO DANZTHEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENT: “A NIGHT OF LOVE” “There is a community of the spirit. Join it, and feel the delight of walking in the noisy street and being the noise...” -Rumi The Guild Literary Complex and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble are pleased to present “A Night of Love”, an evening of performance, poetry, and […]
Palabra Pura: Poems as Stories, Stories as Poems
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floor, Select a Country:Dawn Herrera Featuring 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. Dawn Herrera Helphand […]
Poetry Performance Incubator: “Tour Guides”
Beverly Arts Center 2407 West 111th StreetBeverly Arts Center The Guild Literary Complex is pleased to announce the 2013 remount of “Tour Guides”. Produced in 2010 as part of the Poetry Performance Incubator, “Tour Guides”, gives audiences a lyrical tour of the Chicago tourists never see. Originally written by a team of six, "Tour Guides" has had twelve distinct voices […]
Palabra Pura: “Telling Our Stories Through the Body”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorJoin 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. Erika L. Sánchez Erika 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 […]
2013 Benefit: “Talkin’ Blues: a Tribute to Sterling Plumpp”
Rosa’s Blues Lounge 3420 W. ArmitageYou are cordially invited to our fourth annual benefit, Talkin' Blues, honoring Sterling Plumpp, renowned Chicago-based Blues poet, on May 14. The Guild Literary Complex will pay tribute to his decades-long achievement on stage at Rosa’s Blues Lounge in Logan Square (3420 W. Armitage). Plumpp with be joined by Jeffery Renard Allen, Duriel Harris, Tyehimba […]
Palabra Pura: “Noche de Novelas / Night of Novels”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorJoin us for a monthly bilingual poetry series, guest curated by Raul Dorantes and featuring Mark Litwicki, Martha Cecelia Rivera, and Febronio Zatarain. On 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 […]
BROOKSDAY
The Chicago Cultural Center 78 E Washington St.Guild Literary Complex, Third World Press, and The American Writers Museum present the first annual BROOKSDAY at The Chicago Cultural Center! Join us, as we are creating the first annual marathon reading of the works of Gwendolyn Brooks on her birthday! We want to honor her tremendous legacy as an artist and an iconic figure of […]
Printer’s Row Lit Fest
Printers Row Between Dearborn and Polk , ChicagoJoin us at this year's Printers Row Lit Fest for a special reading by past contest winners and poets from our Poetry Performance Incubator. Reading takes place at noon on June 9 at the Arts and Poetry Stage. More details to come.
Palabra Pura: “Blood, Family, and Tears / Sangre, Familia y Lágrimas”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorOur monthly bilingual poetry event. Curated by Johanny Vázquez Paz featuring Dinorah Cortés-Vélez and Teresa Vázquez. Dinorah Cortés-Vélez Dinorah Cortés-Velez Dinorah 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 […]
Applied Words: Broken Windows POSTPONED
Due to a severe weather forecast we have postponed tonight's event. Applied Words: "Broken Windows" will now be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2013. Visit the new event page for more information.
Palabra Pura: “The Diaspora Daughters Speak”
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorAfro-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 […]
Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards
Chopin Theater 1543 W DivisionGuild Literary Complex is pleased to announce the 20th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards. Join us Tuesday July 23, 2013, 7:00 pm, at the Chopin Theater, 1542 W Division Street, for a live voting event and award ceremony. Preliminary judges, Gwendolyn A. Mitchell and Noël Jones have narrowed the submissions down to just 20 […]
Poetry Performance Incubator Auditions
Free Street Theatre 1419 W. Blackhawk St, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe Poetry Performance Incubator is seeking poets and other writers to collaborate on the creation of a workshop production of Like Bread, a new theatrical performance about making space for a creative life. We are particularly interested in working with poets from a broad range of aesthetics, backgrounds, ages, and Chicago communities. Inspired by the Roque Dalton poem “Like You,” […]
Applied Words: Broken Windows
Polish Triangle ChicagoIf urban design is the language of the city, where is the story – and who tells it? In Applied Words: on Architecture and the Urban Plan, the Guild Literary Complex invites writers to examine our relationships with the built environment. “Broken Windows,” the first reading in a series of three to continue from now […]
Palabra Pura: Inspiration
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorPoets 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 […]
Poetry: Work Is Love Made Visible
Jak's Tap 901 W. Jackson, Chicago, IL, United StatesWork Is Love Made Visible will feature visiting poet Jeanetta Calhoun Mish and include Chicago authors Quaraysh Ali Lansana and Eduardo Arocho for an evening of working class poetry and observations. Bring your poetry on the theme to share in the open mic that starts the event! About the authors: Jeanetta Calhoun Mish is a […]
Poetry: What’s Class Got To Do With It??!!
Lunt Lake Co-op Apartments (Community Room) 1138 W Lunt, Chicago, IL, United StatesA reading on the theme of “working class poetry,” this is a program of Occupy Rogers Park Chicago and is co-sponsored by Guild Complex and Chicago Consortium For Working-Class Studies. Featured readers include poet and scholar Jeanetta Calhoun Mish and poet Adam Gottlieb. An open mic begins the program, so bring your own poetry related […]
Applied Words: Re-Built: Writers on Architecture and the Urban Plan
The Original Sears Tower 930 S. Homan Ave.If urban design is the language of the city, where is the story – and who tells it? In "Re-Built: Writers on Architecture and the Urban Plan" the Guild Literary Complex presents Chicago authors examining human-scale relationships with the built environment, the history of Homan Square, and what comes next. This reading is part of […]
2013 Prose Awards
Chopin Theater 1543 W DivisionEvery fall we recognize outstanding short fiction and non-fiction from across the State of Illinois and award $250 cash prizes to one outstanding writer in each category. Please join us on October 23, 7:30 pm, at the Chopin Theater, located at 1543 W. Division Street, as we celebrate the authors at a special reading and […]
Palabra Pura: Letras Latinas
The Poetry Foundation 61 W Superior St, Chicago, United StatesWe very pleased to be partnering with Poetry Foundation and Red Hen Press for this month's Palabra Pura. Celebrate 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 […]
Poetry Performance Incubator: Like Bread
Free Street Theater 1419 W Blackhawk StJoin us for an in-progress performance of the brand new Poetry Performance Incubator production, Like Bread. Inspired by the Roque Dalton poem “Like You,” Like Bread will explore the relationship between writing and social struggles, the way that writing can transform a life, and how challenging (but joyful) it can be to claim oneself “a writer.” We are […]
Poetry Performance Incubator: Like Bread
Free Street Theater 1419 W Blackhawk StJoin us for an in-progress performance of the brand new Poetry Performance Incubator production, Like Bread. Inspired by the Roque Dalton poem “Like You,” Like Bread will explore the relationship between writing and social struggles, the way that writing can transform a life, and how challenging (but joyful) it can be to claim oneself “a writer.” We are so […]
TONIC: a soulful celebration
Vincent Restaurant 1475 W Balmoral , ChicagoYou are cordially invited to TONIC: a soulful celebration! It's been a year of recognition and achievement for the Guild, from inaugurating Brooksday to receiving a major MacArthur Foundation grant. We plan to celebrate with a night of music, libations, and the best company: YOU. It will be a TONIC, something good for the soul, […]
Palabra Pura: El Amor
La Bruquena restaurant 2726 W. Division, 2nd floorOur 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 […]
Chicago Book Expo
St. Augustine College 1345 W. ArgyleThe Guild will have a table at the Chicago Book Expo on Sunday, November 24 from 11am-5pm. The Chicago Book Expo has "Chicago’s best independent publishers and authors selling books, plus free author readings, panel discussions, writing workshops, and bilingual/Spanish programs" available to the public for free! Visit our booth, and enjoy the opportunity to […]
Poetry off the Shelf: Eduardo C. Corral, Carmen Giménez-Smith, Sheryl Luna and Deborah Paredez
Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior StreetWe are very pleased to be partnering with the Poetry Foundation for a special Poetry off the Shelf. Inspired by Cave Canem and Kundiman, CantoMundo is a national collective for Latina/o poets. Carmen Giménez-Smith is the author of four poetry collections—Milk and Filth, Goodbye, Flicker, The City She Was, and Odalisque in Pieces. Sheryl Luna received […]
An evening with M. Evelina Galang (wsg Angela Narciso Torres)
Women & Children First bookstore 5233 N. Clark Street, ChicagoAngel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery M. Evelina Galang will read from her new young adult novel, Angel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery at Women & Children First on Wednesday, January 8th at 7:30 p.m. in an event co-presented by Guild Literary Complex and Coffee House Press. The novel […]
PALABRA PURA: “ONE POET / ONE POEM”
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, ChicagoThe Guild Literary Complex is pleased to kick off the ninth season of PALABRA PURA with “One Poet / One Poem”. 2014 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: Rey Andújar | Beatriz Badikian | […]
Applied Words: Notes from the Mainframe
FreeGeek Chicago 3411 W Diversey Ave, ChicagoIn the 21st century, we live inside technology like never before. For Applied Words “Notes from the Mainframe,” the Guild Literary Complex invites writers employed in technology to read their work and discuss the poetics of art and science. “Notes from the Mainframe” will include readings by Catherine Halley (Director of Digital Programs, Poetry Foundation), […]
Interdisciplinary Workshop: Dramaturgy of the Body with Rey Andújar
City Lit Books 2523 N Kedzie Blvd, ChicagoRey Andújar, photo by Ariana Drule For Rey Andújar movement, theatre, and writing are inextricably linked. Each facet of his art hinges on the others. In this workshop he will explain his process, discuss his influences, and present his muses. Writers, actors, and dancers alike will not want to miss this one-of-a-kind peek into this […]
Palabra Pura: Greater Than The Sum Of Parts
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United States"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 […]
An evening with Mario Bellatin: book party for Flowers / The Illustrated Biography of Mishima
Chicago Urban Art Society 600 W. Cermak Rd. Unit 1B, Chicago7Vientos (7V), an independent publishing house located in Chicago, is releasing two novellas by Mario Bellatin, one of the greatest writers of contemporary Latin American literature. He has published over forty books and his work has been translated into fifteen different languages. The book now published by 7V is a hardcover “flip” edition housing Bellatin’s […]
Applied Words: It Gets Better
Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United Statespictured left to right: Precious, Jill Howe, Tamale (curator/host), Greg Ledger, Lily Be "It Gets Better" is curated and hosted by the fabulous Tamale and features great comic voices responding to the themes of history, mythology, gender, and high school. This reading is co-sponsored by About Face Theatre and is presented in connection to their […]
Reading, Conversation, and Book Signing: Cristina García
Harold Washington Library 400 S. State St., ChicagoREADING, CONVERSATION, AND BOOK SIGNING: CRISTINA GARCIA, author of King of Cuba Tuesday, March 18, 6:00 p.m. Harold Washington Library Cindy Pritzker Auditorium 400 South State Street FREE As a part of Story Week 2014, the Guild has collaborated with Columbia College to bring you an evening with renowned author Cristina García . Cristina García is the […]
Panel: Translation Matters
Humboldt Park Field House 1440 N Humboldt Drive, ChicagoPANEL: TRANSLATION MATTERS Wednesday, March 19, 5:00 p.m. Humboldt Park Fieldhouse 1400 N. Sacramento (North of Division) FREE Produced in partnership with Story Week and presented in special collaboration with Chicago Park District. During this panel, celebrated authors and translators will discuss the crucial role literature plays in increasing global understanding, the need to teach literature in translation, and […]
Meet-and-Greet
PALABRA PURA: Meet & Greet Wednesday, March 19, 6:00 p.m. Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1400 N. Humboldt Dr. (North of Division) Meet the panelists from Translation Matters and talk to the authors reading during Noche de novelas / Night of Novels during this social hour. Light refreshments will be provided. Books by the authors will be […]
Palabra Pura: Noche de novelas II / Night of Novels II (Story Week edition)
Humboldt Park Field House 1440 N Humboldt Drive, ChicagoNoche de novelas II— Story Week Edition Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. Humboldt Park Fieldhouse, 1400 N. Humboldt Dr. (North of Division) Hosted 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, […]
Literary Rock & Roll: a life tribute to David Hernandez
Metro 3730 N Clark St, ChicagoDavid Hernandez in rehearsal. (Photo by Tanya Tucka) The Guild Literary Complex and Columbia College Creative Writing Department are pleased to celebrate the life of David Hernandez in this one-of-a-kind event in conjunction with Story Week 2014: “Street Sounds take music, lyrics and song a stimulating step further.” – Chicago Sun Times Chicago’s “unofficial Poet Laureate,” […]
Gwendolyn Brooks Community Reading
Chicago Public Library—George Cleveland Hall Branch 4801 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, United StatesFrom Our Neighborhoods: Four Chicago Writers Who Changed America showcases four great Chicago authors whose neighborhoods were both the inspiration and subject of their work. Read aloud your favorite Gwendolyn Brooks poem on Tuesday, March 25, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The American Writers Museum in partnership with Guild Literary Complex hosts a Gwendolyn Brooks Community Reading. Bring your […]
Applied Words: Unseen Worlds
Schubas TavernSchubas Tavern 3159 N. Southport Ave. From left to right: Paul Gorski, Joe Austin II, PhD, Stephanie Levi (Curator), Anne Yoder, Vojislav Pejović. FROM THE CURATOR, STEPHANIE LEVI, PhD: I am delighted to be curating this month’s Applied Words series. The theme of Unseen Worlds stemmed from my experience as a microscopist originally. When I […]
Gwendolyn Brooks Community Reading
Woodson Library 9525 South HalstedSaturday, April 12, 2:00 p.m. Woodson Regional Library (Auditorium), 9525 South Halsted In conjunction with Brooksday—the Guild's annual tribute to author Gwendolyn Brooks—we're pleased to present the Gwendolyn Brooks Community Reading series in collaboration with the American Writers Museum and their traveling exhibition From Our Neighborhoods: Four Chicago Writers Who Changed America. Read aloud your favorite Gwendolyn […]
Palabra Pura, curated by Eduardo Arocho
Wednesday, April 16 7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. La Bruquena, upstairs 2726 W. Division St. From left to right: Laurie Ann Guerrero, Eduardo Arocho (curator), Rich Villar. First 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 […]
Safe, But Not Silent: How ICORN helps persecuted writers
Chicago Temple Building– Pierce Hall 77 W Washington Street, Chicago, United StatesWednesday, April 23 6:00 p.m. Chicago Temple Building, Pierce Hall Helge Lunde 77 W Washington Street FREE Safe, But Not Silent: How ICORN helps persecuted writers A public talk by Helge Lunde, Executive Director of the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) Held in conjunction with the Guild's Voices of Protest event. RSVP for tickets […]
Applied Words: Voices of Protest
Facets Multi-Media 1517 W Fullerton Ave, Select a Country:Friday, April 25, 7:00 p.m. Facets Multimedia 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. (Note: The same program takes place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.) Al-Sheikh, Maarouf Voices of Protest, April 25 & 26, draws attention to the plight of exiled authors and celebrates a global literature. The Guild will host Manal Al-Sheikh (Iraq) and Mazen […]
Applied Words: Voices of Protest
Facets Multi-Media 1517 W Fullerton Ave, Select a Country:Saturday, April 26, 8:00 p.m. Facets Multimedia 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. (Note: The same program takes place at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 25.) Al-Sheikh, Maarouf Voices of Protest, April 25 & 26, draws attention to the plight of exiled authors and celebrates a global literature. The Guild will host Manal Al-Sheikh (Iraq) and Mazen Maarouf (Palestine), two poets currently […]
Breaking the Bread Divide: A Live GuildCast on Food Justice
Logan Arts Center 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL, United StatesLeft to right: Robert Nevel, Dave Snyder, Angela + Sam Taylor The sustainable food movement has rejuvenated holistic thinking on agriculture, food production, and consumption. But lost in the movement is how to bring wholesome, quality food to all and not to just those that can afford it. In a live version of GuildCast, a […]
REVEAL 25 – The Guild’s 25th Anniversary Party and Benefit
Victory Gardens Biograph Theater 2433 North Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, United States25 Writers to Watch REVEAL 25 is the Guild's 25th anniversary party, an opportunity to celebrate 25 years of mission-driven accomplishments in Chicago's vast literary community. It is a jubilant celebration of the past, and also a chance to look ahead to the future. Past and present directors, including founding director Michael Warr, will be announcing […]
Palabra Pura: Two poetic voices of the new Latin American territory
La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs) 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesOur monthly bilingual reading series is curated in May by Febronio Zatarain and features Emmanuel Ayala and Miguel Marzana. About the Artists "I write because it is a privilege I have earned. Ever since I was 12 years old I read poetry and loved it. One day I embraced the pen and spilled ink on […]
Brooksday 2014
For the second year, the Guild Literary Complex’s will present its signature event, Brooksday 2014—a marathon reading that celebrates the life and work of renowned Chicago poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Taking place at the Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest on Saturday, June 7—Brooks’ birthday—from 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. at the Guild’s tent (located on the corner […]
Readings at Printers Row Lit Fest
Printers Row Lit Festival Dearborn and Polk Streets, Chicago, United StatesThe Guild will be presenting hour-long readings by seven prominent Chicago literary organizations throughout the day at Printers Row Lit Festival. You can find our tent at the corner of Dearborn and Polk Streets. Schedule 10 a.m. Chicago Latino Writers Initiative: Ericka McCarthy Sanchez, Adriana Galvan, Awilda Rodriguez, Diana Pando, Jen Vera, Veronica Vidal, Jazmin Corona, Stephanie Diaz Reppen The Chicago Latino Writers […]
Applied Words: Black Vernacular
Arts Incubator 301 E Garfield Blvd, Chicago, IL, United StatesBlack Vernacular: a comedic literary look at a language that's all American Join the Guild Literary Complex and the University of Chicago's Arts Incubator as Randall Horton, Adam Moshe Levin, and Toni Asante Lightfoot perform and read work demonstrating the sticky wicket of Black Vernacular. Short video performances by Holly Bass and others will be included. About the […]
Palabra Pura, Curated by Diana Pando
La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs) 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesDiscover two emerging Chicago poets whose palabras unearth a rich excavation of their Mexican roots. Pulling from these raices they explore gender, geography, and guns that eventually collide onto the page to create border-crossing poetry that migrates between Chicago and Guanajuato, Mexico. About the Artists Jennifer Patiño was born on the Southwest Side of Chicago […]
Palabra Pura at Printers Ball!
Spudnik Press 1821 West Hubbard St, Chicago, United StatesThe Guild Literary Complex is joining dozens of other presenters for the Tenth Annual Printers Ball, taking place on June 28. This year, the Guild will be presenting a flashmob-style Palabra Pura, featuring Cyn Vargas Eduardo Arocho Mike "Open Mike" Puican These poets will read around 5:30 p.m., but we encourage you to come early […]
Equanimity: Writing and Exile
Victory Gardens Biograph Theater 2433 North Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, United StatesPresented by Victory Gardens Moderated by John Rich, Executive Director of the Guild Literary Complex Being forced to leave one’s homeland can leave one with a sense of loss, trauma, and confusion. But for many writers, exile and political writing can also be a source of creativity and a way to reconnect with a life […]
Palabra Pura: Lost and Found
La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs) 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesLost & Found: Letters, Poems, and Marginalia of Cross Cultural Experience This 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. About the Artists Darren Angle is a poet living in Chicago. […]
Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Reading & Award
Chopin Theater 1543 W DivisionWriters across Illinois submitted their poems to the Guild for the 21st Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award between June 7 and June 30, 2014. 20 of those poems were selected to be presented on July 23, where each author will read their poem to an audience who will then vote on the winner of […]
The Guild Goes Dark
We'll be taking some time away to regroup through the month of August after a fruitful spring and summer. Keep an eye out for our Fall Preview, which will contain information on programming and events for the fall 2014!
Book Release [&DANCE!] Party: Quraysh Ali Lansana and Christopher Stewart
Logan Arts Center 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL, United StatesHappy birthday, Quraysh! And, happy book release to Quraysh Ali Lansana and Christopher Stewart, whose newest book, The Walmart Republic, will be launched this fall. To celebrate in style (as the Guild always does), we will be hosting a birthday and book launch on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the University of Chicago's Reva and […]
Dispatches from Kapittel
The Guild is sending six Chicago writers to the Kapittel International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech in Stavenger, Norway as a part of our ongoing work with writers living in exile and advocating for freedom of speech. Our six attendees are blogging on their experiences at GuildDispatches.tumblr.com. About the Attendees: Adam Gottlieb is a […]
Palabra Pura: Calling Home
Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior StreetOur monthly bilingual reading series in September features Ana Castillo and Paul Martinez Pompa and is curated by Cristina Correa. The event is hosted and co-presented by the Poetry Foundation. States Correa, "Across generations, Latino writers and their constellation of experiences and creative identities have found a home in Chicago. For many, home is a constant migration […]
I Come To Your Country, Name Me: Asian/American Author Reading Series
SAIC, LeRoy Neiman Center 37 S Wabash Ave, 1st floor, Chicago, United StatesThe Guild and the Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago will present three Asian authors on Wednesday, September 24. In conjunction with the University of Illinois–Chicago's Kriti Festival—a celebration of South Asian and Asian Diaspora Arts and Literature in Chicago—we present Rachel DeWoskin, Mary Anne […]
Palabra Pura: Want
La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs) 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesCurated by Cyn Vargas, the theme of this month's Palabra Pura is Want. Cyn writes, "Want. It could be a person, thing, words we long to hear, a new place. Want is at the core of what we do and say. It drives us or it stuns us. The stories this night will be about […]
Annual Prose Awards Reading and Recognition Event
Chopin Theatre 1543 West Division Street, Chicago, United StatesUPDATED: ANNOUNCING THE 2014 PROSE AWARD WINNERS! Kate Duva, winner of the 2014 Prose Award in Fiction Elora de Grey, winner of the 2014 Prose Award in Non-Fiction The Guild Literary Complex supports divergent and emerging literary voices with our Annual Prose Awards. Every fall we recognize outstanding short fiction and non-fiction from across the […]
Colm Tóibín’s Transatlantic Literary Worlds
Northwestern University School of Law, Thorne Auditorium 375 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago , United StatesThe Guild Literary Complex is proud and excited to partner with the 2014 Chicago Humanities Festival to present Colm Tóibín's Transatlantic Literary Worlds, a live interview with the award-winning author conducted by the Guild's Director, John Rich. This special program also marks the celebration of two 25-year anniversaries, both for the Guild Literary Complex and the […]
TONIC
Beauty Bar 1444 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe Guild’s “good for you” year-end party has returned! This year, after much celebration of our 25th anniversary, we look forward to the future. We plan to celebrate with music, libation, and the best company in Chicago: YOU. Also, a very special guest will be joining us: Marcel Proust. Best known for his recollections of […]
Palabra Pura: From the Margins of the Margins
La Bruquena restaurant (upstairs) 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesIn 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 […]
Winter Break!
The Guild will be dark for the month of December. We'll be announcing 2015 programming soon...See you next year!
Palabra Pura: One Poet One Poem (Stories too!) 10 year anniversary kickoff party!
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe 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 […]
Palabra Pura: Urban Realities/Realidades urbanas
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesChicago 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 […]
Uncharted: a “25 Writers to Watch” kick-off
Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United StatesAs part of the Guild's 25th anniversary last year, we highlighted 25 Chicago area Writers to Watch. This year, we program all of them—starting now! "Uncharted" features readings by Eric Charles May, Coya Paz, Roger Reeves, and Kathleen Rooney. The theme is an open field for the imagination, but expect to hear stories about adventure, […]
Voices of Protest: Home Edition
826CHI 1276 N. Milwaukee Ave, ChicagoIn September 2014, the Guild Literary Complex sent five Chicago writers to the 2014 Kapittel International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech in Stavanger, Norway. NOW, for the first time since their return, the authors will give a special reading of creative work inspired by the trip and lead a community dialogue on free […]
Palabra Pura: A Toda Madre, Men Pay Tribute to Their Mothers
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesSharing California roots, a love of poetry, and a feminist devotion to their mothers, Tijuana native Brian Martin and L.A. native Arturo “Tootie” Alvarez blend English and Spanish to pay homage to their mothers. From a mother’s reminder to always use condoms to her struggle to raise her family on her own to the demoralizing beauty […]
Applied Words: A Dose of Mind and Body
International Museum of Surgical Science 1524 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL, United StatesFor this Applied Words event, we ask our featured artists to give us a dose of health-connected stories of the body and/or mind. Tonight's line-up includes two "Writers to Watch," Rey Andújar and Megan Stielstra, along with special guests Andrew Huff and Samantha Irby. And to make the program more body related, we have partnered […]
Poetry Reading: Saint Teresa of Jesús, The Birth of a Writer and a Poet
Instituto Cervantes 31 West Ohio Street, Chicago, IL, United StatesSaint Teresa of Jesús held a special, privileged place for books during her life. Not only did she consider books important for her work as a writer, but also as a reader. Saint Teresa mainly wrote prose and her most popular poems are those that reflect her mysticism. In this special event, Instituto Cervantes, contratiempo, […]
The Alphabet of Distant Harbours
The Chicago Cultural Center 78 E Washington St.The Guild Complex continues a new reading platform to foreground Asian / American authors and themes. Curated by Dipika Mukherjee, this spring's program—The Alphabet of Distant Harbours—features Toni Nealie, Zhou Sivan, and Angela Narciso Torres. “The Alphabet of Distant Harbours'” will bring together writers who explore the suppression as well as expression of identity in […]
Palabra Pura: Borderless Bodies
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesThis month's Palabra Pura is curated by Daniel Borzutzky, who believes that this month's performers, Duriel E. Harris and Rodrigo Toscano, are two of our present moment's most innovative, most dynamic and powerful and surprising poets and performers. "For these two artists, no distinction can be made between their poetics and their performativity. They write […]
The Wall of Respect and People’s Art Since 1967 Symposium Opening
Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Wing 159 E Monroe St, Chicago, IL, United StatesThe Guild Literary Complex joins the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and other partners in a symposium launch event tonight to honor and discuss the legacy of the Wall of Respect. The Wall of Respect and People’s Art Since 1967 is a symposium (April 17-18) that launches a two-year critical conversation on the […]
Applied Words: On Belonging
Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United StatesIn a city—let alone a world—of vast geographies, identities, experience and more, how do we understand our place? Using personal stories, our guest authors will navigate the territory of belonging in a special Applied Words program that highlights two of the Guild's 25 Writers to Watch, Rebecca Kling and Sahar Mustafah, and includes José Ángel […]
Wink and Whisper: the Guild’s 2015 benefit party
Uptown Underground 4707 N Broadway, Chicago, IL, United StatesClick here to buy tickets! The Guild Complex is re-imagining the 1920s through music, song, comedy, and dance in our sixth annual benefit, Wink & Whisper: A 1920s LGBT Cabaret. Emceed by Tamale Sepp, this year’s benefit will celebrate the vibrant spirit and culture of a 1920s LGBT community with a fusion of talented performers, […]
Palabra Pura: Inner Landscape Queens
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center 4048 West Armitage, Chicago, United StatesPlease note this month's Palabra Pura is taking place at a special location: the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center (4048 W Armitage Ave). Three fearless and unique feminine voices with Chicago roots come together for an evening of poetic expressions. Inner and outside landscapes, light, sounds and ultimately, words transmit each artist’s expressions. Arica Hilton, […]
Reverend Billy and The Stop Shopping Choir
Preston Bradley Center 941 West Lawrence, Chicago, IL, United StatesTickets available at door (advance sales have ended). Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir is a radical performance community based in New York City, and they are coming to Chicago to march, sing, and activate our community with a special live performance—ONE NIGHT ONLY. Tickets at door are suggested donation of $12 for […]
BrooksDay 2015 – By Any Art Necessary
Logan Arts Center 915 E 60th St, Chicago, IL, United StatesJune 7, 2015 marks the Third Annual BrooksDay and promises to be an exciting continuation of The Guild Literary Complex’s signature event with nonstop readings and performances this year in a new location: the stunning Reva and David Logan Arts Center located on the University of Chicago’s Campus, 915 East 60th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637. […]
Luis Rodriguez reading
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center 4048 West Armitage, Chicago, United StatesFounder of Tia Chucha Press and L.A. Poet Laureate Luis Rodriguez returns to Chicago for a special reading event sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc. This program takes place at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center located at 4048 W. Armitage. There will be an open mic! Arrive early to sign up. Admission […]
Palabra Pura: Does English Matter
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesPerformers Adam Gottlieb and Angelina Llongueras use their original music, poetry and experience as activists, here and in Spain, to pursue the question: Does English matter? For English expression in Latino/a cultural and political communities, when does the implied "Spanish Only" remain empowering, and when does the English-dominant Latino/a activist need to transgress? This month's […]
Palabra Pura: Latinidad-Who are we? Latino Poets on Identity
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesFor featured authors Diego Báez and Amy Sayre Baptista, violence inhabits their lives and what they write about. This is a violence that divides our culture and us; this is a colonization of our identity as a man, as a woman, and as a Latina/o. What does it mean to be Latina/o? These poets sing […]
22nd Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards Program
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts 915 E 60th, Chicago, IL, United StatesUpdate: Congratulations to the winner, Javon J. Smith! After the first four rounds, the finalists were chosen by the live audience—no easy task—and included Aja Zakiya Hall, Cassandra McGovern, Javon J. Smith, and Sam Herschel Wein. Javon won with his dynamic performance of the poem "Nig(g)ot." Javon J. Smith, an educator at Perspectives/IIT Math & […]
The Guild Goes Dark in August
It's our annual summer programming break! We’ll be taking some time away to regroup through the month of August. Keep an eye out for our Fall Preview, which will contain information on programming and events for September-November 2015!
Palabra Pura: Who Stands With Us
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesAccording to this month's curator, Emilio Maldonado, challenging each other and the status quo is the responsibility of the committed artist, and he has programmed author/activists Aricka Foreman, Christina Obregon, and Raina Wodatch, and to engage the theme Who stands with us? "During this current wave of open aggression and hostility it is important to […]
100,000 Poets for Change
Outer Space Studio 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, United StatesExperiment #89: Fight the Power SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th7pm / doors lock 7:30pm A special event with 100 Thousand Poets for Changehttp://www.100tpcmedia.org On September 26, 2015, many poets around the world will make their voices heard. To declare the change they'd like to see most in the U.S. and throughout the international community, events are being staged worldwide as […]
The Lonely (a Writers to Watch reading)
Schubas Tavern 3159 N Southport, Chicago, IL, United StatesThis reading draws inspiration from the work of the featured writers, each of them exploring themes of loneliness, longing, and love. There is desire, and there is dread. There is even decency. Using personal stories, fiction, and fairy tales, authors Keith Ecker, Jac Jamc and Cecilia Pinto—three of the Guild’s 25 Writers to Watch—will navigate […]
Palabra Pura: Curated by Cynthia Pelayo
La Bruquena Restaurant 2726 W. Division, Chicago, IL, United StatesMore information on October's Palabra Pura will be available late summer 2015.