Tall Grass Writer's Guild

Tuesday, Sep 28
7:30 pm
The Bourgeois Pig
738 West Fullerton
Contact: Whitney Scott, 219-322-7270

Larry Janowski Headlines TallGrass Open Mic-9/28

Award-winning Chicago poet Larry Janowski, will headline the Tuesday, September 28, TallGrass Writers Guild Open Mic, held upstairs at 7:30 pm at The Bourgeois Pig, 738 West Fullerton,Chicago. The phone number there is 773-883-5282. Larry Janowski's most recent book is BrotherKeeper (The Puddin'head Press 2007). He is a 2008 recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Literary Award and this year, his poem "Just Take It," was awarded "Best Original Poem 2010" by the Catholic Press Association.

Says one reviewer, “The poem’s message of action and decision offers profound insight into the human condition. The conversational and direct tone lends the poem great power, appropriate to the subject matter and to Frost’s own voice. The sonnet-like structure further supports the poem’s quiet, understated wisdom.” Larry suggests that “Just take it" is a take off on Robert Frost's Poem "The Road Not Taken," and encourages making a decision as more important (and necessary) than making sure it's the "right" one or that others will approve.

His previous chapbooks are Chicago Cantata (2002) and Celibate Dazzled (2006). Larry's poetry has been anthologized in A Writers’ Congress: Chicago Poets on Barack Obama’s Inauguration (DePaul University Institute, 2009), On the No Road Way to Tomorrow: Poems from the Chicago-Kunming [China] Poetry Group (Chicago: Virtual Artists Collective, 2009), and [Saints] Francis and Clare in Poetry: An Anthology (Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2005).

Individual poems have won prizes at Literal Latte (New York), Passager (Baltimore) and River Oak Review in Oak Park, Illinois. His work has appeared in TriQuarterly, Court Green, Rhino, and every issue of After Hours: A Journal of Chicago Writing and Art since it began in 2000. He also has a poem in the online journal: Big Shoulders Magazine.

Larry is currently working on a second collection. He is a native Chicagoan, a Franciscan friar and teaches poetry at Loyola University.

Immediately following his presentation is the regularly scheduled Open Mic, where everyone is welcome to perform poetry, fiction,music, comedy, and more for up to 10 minutes. Cover charge for the evening's events is $6 reduced to $5 for students, with sign-up tp read starting at 7 pm. TallGrass Writers Guild is a registered, 501-c-3 non-profit arts organization. For information: 219-322-7270.