Our June programs include a celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks, the Chicago return of poet Luis Rodriguez, and a Palabra Pura that asks, Does English matter? We also announce our call for submissions to the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, now in its 22nd year—and with an increased prize amount!
On Sunday, June 7, celebrate the birthday (and legacy) of acclaimed poet Gwendolyn Brooks at the 3rd annual BrooksDay. This year we convene at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, and we have expanded the number of performances and special guests. Louder Than a Bomb founder Kevin Coval and radio personality Richard Steele join Guild board member Andrea Change as emcees, and special guests include actress and playwright Regina Taylor, City Commissioner Michelle Boone, and Third World Press founder Haki Madhubuti. And there will be cake!
A week later, we welcome home poet Luis Rodriquez, founder of Tia Chucha Press and current Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, for a special afternoon reading on Saturday, June 13, at the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center. Click here for more information.
Then, on June 17, we end our live June programs with Palabra Pura: Does English Matter? Curated by Elizabeth Marino, this reading includes Adam Gottlieb and Angelina Llongueras using words and music to question the role of English in Latino/a activist and cultural communities.
But that is not the end of our activities. The Guild is currently accepting poetry submissions to the 22nd annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards. Submission guidelines are posted here, and submissions are due by July 1. And the prize has increased this year: the top poet earns $600!