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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261001T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261001T203000
DTSTAMP:20260921T172719Z
CREATED:20260917T214028Z
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UID:15374-1790881200-1790886600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards (GBOMA) 2026
DESCRIPTION:The Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards (GBOMA)\, founded by Gwendolyn Brooks and presented annually by Guild Literary Complex\, celebrates outstanding original poetry by Illinois writers. Finalists selected by guest judge I.S. Jones will perform their work live for a chance to win a $500 audience prize\, publication in RHINO Poetry\, and an invitation to read at the Evanston Writers Workshop’s 2026 conference. \nBUY TICKETS HERE: https://epiphanychi.com/events/gwendolyn-brooks-open-mic-awards-gboma-2026-finals/ \nDate: Thursday\, October 1st\, 2026 \nDoors: 5:00 PM \nShowtime: 7:00 PM \nAt Chase House \n2026 GBOMA Finalists \nDywaine Betts Jr \nJohn Franklin Dandridge \nSylvia Ewing* \nLotus Fulton \nGregorio Gomez \nThomas Gossett \nSamina Hadi-Tabassum* \nDavid Mathews \nDavid Orr* \nHilesh Patel \nSandra Santiago \nSuzie Torres \nKira Tucker \nSooahn Yang \nMiranda Barfuss \nE’mon Lauren
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/gwendolyn-brooks-open-mic-awards-gboma-2026/
LOCATION:Epiphany Center for the Arts\, 201 South Ashland Ave.\, Chicago\, IL\, 60647\, United States
CATEGORIES:GBOMA
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261014T210000
DTSTAMP:20261005T233740Z
CREATED:20260811T001526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T233740Z
UID:15300-1792004400-1792011600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora en Vivo!
DESCRIPTION:The first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person!\n\n\nThe first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person! All participants have a chance to compete at the international level at the final slam hosted by a Latinx country (TBD). Hosted and curated by Yesenia Roman 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. SIGN UP HERE. \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. REGÍSTRATE AQUÍ. \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! \nJUEZ DE HONOR\n\n \n\n\n\n\nYazud E. Brito-Milian (they/them) is a Chicane poet\, impatient collagist\, abolitionist\, and eldest sister. Born in Winston-Salem\, NC\, and based in Chicago\, IL\, they are working on their first chapbook\, crossfade\, dedicated to their dad’s black and yellow KORG M50 and the musicians who raised them. Yazud has received fellowships from The Watering Hole\, Periplus\, and CantoMundo. Their work appears in Muzzle Magazine\, Voicemail Poems\, The Poetry Project\, and Huizache Magazine. They are one of the founding members of Tanda Poetry Collective\, a BIPOC-led poetry book club and workshop space for BIPOC poets. They also co-host a new reading series and open mic on the South Side called Canto-Kòjo. In Spanish\, canto means “to sing\,” and in Yoruba\, kòjo means “together.” Yazud hopes to continue using poetry as a tool for gathering—to ensure our communities remain alive and celebrated.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-en-vivo-2026-3/
LOCATION:Taqueria El Mezquite\, 1756 West 18th Street\, Chicago\, IL\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261017T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261017T150000
DTSTAMP:20261001T180117Z
CREATED:20260930T191031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T180117Z
UID:15385-1792242000-1792249200@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Guild Literary Complex at The Loop Arts District Festival - National Black Poetry Day Readings & Reflections
DESCRIPTION:Presented in partnership with the Guild Literary Complex \nJoin us for a free poetry reading celebrating National Black Poetry Day. Honoring the history and continued legacy of Black poetry\, the event commemorates the birthday of Jupiter Hammon\, the first Black poet published in 1760. Hosted by Faylita Hicks. \n\nBlack Poetry Day Readings & Reflections \n \nSaturday\, October 17th \n1:00pm – 3:00pm \nAmerican Writers Museum \n180 North N Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL 60601 \nFree Admission \nReadings By: \nWesley Frazier Keys \nKenyatta Rogers \nKira Tucker \nLotus Fulton
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/guild-literary-complex-at-the-loop-arts-district-festival-national-black-poetry-day/
LOCATION:American Writers Museum\, 180 N Michigan Ave\, Chicago\, IL\, 60601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Special Events
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261102T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261102T220000
DTSTAMP:20261101T231637Z
CREATED:20261029T211526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261101T231637Z
UID:15418-1793644200-1793656800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:La Bola Negra: Poetry Pop-up
DESCRIPTION:An exclusive screening of the film La Bola Negra & pre-show poetry performances by the Guild Literary Complex’s Palabra Pura community\n\n\nJoin us for a special screening of La Bola Negra\, with poetry performances by Diego Báez\, Stefania Gomez\, and Natasha Mijares at Music Box Theatre. \n6:30pm poetry | 7:30pm film \nBUY YOUR TICKETS HERE or at the door. \nA bold tapestry spanning nearly a century of Spanish history\, La Bola Negra tells the story of three generations of men whose lives are intimately connected through desire\, pain\, and love in this celebrated film from Cannes-winning directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. You may watch the trailer here. \nBefore hitting Netflix on December 2nd\, La Bola Negra\, winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival\, will open in theaters across the country for a limited run. The film will open in Chicago on 10/30\, including select screenings in 35mm at the Music Box Theatre. \nDiego Báez\n \nDiego Báez is a poet\, educator\, and abolitionist. He is the author of Yaguareté White (Univ. Arizona)\, named Best New Poetry Collection by the Chicago Reader (2024). He lives in Rogers Park and co-ordinates Blue Jay Poetry Cafe\, a summer reading series at Loyola Beach. \nStefania Gomez\n \nStefania Gomez is a 2025 Luminarts Fellow in Poetry\, a 2023 Fulbright Research Award Grantee\, and a finalist for the 2024 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship. She is currently a PhD candidate in English at the University of Illinois at Chicago and teaches high school English on Chicago’s South Side. \nNatasha Mijares\n \nNatasha Mijares is the author of violent wave (Bridge Books). She received her MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has exhibited at various galleries. Her work has appeared in Latino Book Review\, Gravity of the Thing\, Hypertext Review\, Calamity\, Vinyl Poetry\, and more.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/la-bola-negra-poetry-pop-up/
LOCATION:Music Box Theatre\, 3733 North Southport Avenue\, Chicago\, IL\, 60613\, United States
CATEGORIES:Palabra Pura,Partner Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261111T210000
DTSTAMP:20261102T232538Z
CREATED:20260811T001527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261102T232538Z
UID:15301-1794423600-1794430800@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:¡Slam Diáspora: GRAND SLAM!
DESCRIPTION:The first and only Spanish language slam in Chicago returns in-person!\n\n\nPrimera llamada to this year’s GRAND SLAM! Winners go on to Abya Yala Poetry Slam and Circuito Nacional Poetry Slam México – así que échenle todo el power a sus versos que con la poesía se viaja. All participants have a chance to compete at the international level at the final slam hosted by a Latinx country. 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. SIGN UP HERE. \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. REGÍSTRATE AQUÍ. \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! \nJUEZ DE HONOR: ÉRIKA ORDOSGOITTI\n \nÉrika Ordosgoitti (Caracas\, 1980) lives in Chicago\, Illinois. A performance\, audiovisual\, and poetry artist\, Ordosgoitti holds a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in New Media from the Instituto Universitario de Artes Armando Reverón in Caracas. For the last 25 years\, her research has focused on studying the concept of freedom in relation to art. \nOrdosgoitti is known for her site-specific interventions in public space\, which she calls «photo-assaults» («fotoasalto»). These are performative declarations of freedom intended to bear witness to her fleeting existence and inspire new acts of disobedience. Risk is a significant element in her artistic practice. \nHer work explores the mechanisms of power that operate on behavior\, using her own body as the fundamental signifier and a space of contention\, recognizing it as power’s primary target and\, therefore\, the sole vehicle for freedom.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/slam-diaspora-en-vivo-2026-4/
LOCATION:Taqueria El Mezquite\, 1756 West 18th Street\, Chicago\, IL\, 60608\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event,Slam Diáspora
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261115T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261115T130000
DTSTAMP:20261110T222811Z
CREATED:20261110T222458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261110T222811Z
UID:15460-1794742200-1794747600@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Evanston Writers Workshop: In the Trenches Conference
DESCRIPTION:The Guild Literary Complex partners with the Evanston Writers Workshop to host a reading at the In the Trenches Conference 2026 featuring finalists from our 2026 Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards (GBOMA).\n\nFeatured Readers\n\n\nDARIO\nDavid Matthews\nKira Tucker
\nTom Gossett\n\n\nA big thank you to Evanston Writers Workshop for inviting the Guild to be part of this year’s conference. We’re looking forward to celebrating these talented poets and sharing their work!
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/in-the-trenches-conference-2026/
LOCATION:Hilton Garden Inn\, 1818 Maple Ave\, Evanston\, IL\, 60201\, United States
CATEGORIES:Partner Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://guildcomplex.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/in-the-trenches.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261121T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261121T203000
DTSTAMP:20261030T180722Z
CREATED:20261027T204342Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261030T180722Z
UID:15410-1795285800-1795293000@guildcomplex.org
SUMMARY:Transvengence Vol.14: Book Launch for "Goodbye to a Dream Believed" by Joss Barton
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, November 21st / 6:30 @ Haymarket House \nTransvengence Vol. 14 features the book launch of Goodbye to a Dream Believed by Joss Barton. \nJoss Barton will perform readings from the book\, followed by an author Q&A\, a book signing\, and refreshments. \nGoodbye to a Dream Believed!\, Joss Barton’s debut collection\, is a clutch of transsexual acid dreams and tweaker rave poems. Bound together in her singular style of nightclub stream of consciousness and righteous queer rage\, these poems demand another bump\, another battle\, and another belief system. This book asks us to ponder what lies beyond the revelatory seconds of a poem’s ego death and who will be there holding you when the party ends and the sun begins to rise.
URL:https://guildcomplex.org/event/transvengence-vol-14/
LOCATION:Haymarket House\, 800 West Buena Avenue\, Chicago\, IL\, 60613\, United States
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