February 10th 2nd Sunday Top Shelf Poets presents the Annual Larry Janowski Carnival of good times and poetry

Come spend your Sunday with this fun house of poetry
Jan Bottiglieri
Chris Green
Tony Trigililo
and
Larry Janowski
perform on the poetry high wire
at Powell's bookstore in University Village
from 3-5 on Sunday February 10th
you need to be there

February 4th-W4Tb:Jacob Saenz plus open mic

Come on out and see our amazing feature:Jacob Saenz
read some poetry of your own
Monday Feb 4th
sign up 7:30
showtime 8-10pm
suggested theme:
Old
new
borrowed
or
blue

Sandra Simonds & Joe Harrington Reading - February 13

Columbia College Chicago's Spring 2013 reading series opens with guests Sandra Simonds and Joe Harrington, sponsored by the Department of English.

When: Wednesday, February 13, 5:30 pm

Where: Stage Two, 618 S. Michigan Ave, Second Floor

SANDRA SIMONDS grew up in Los Angeles, California. She earned a BA in Psychology and Creative Writing at UCLA and an MFA from the University of Montana, where she received a poetry fellowship. In 2010, she earned a PhD in Literature from Florida State University. Her second book of poems, Mother was a Tragic Girl, was published by Cleveland State University Poetry Center in 2012. She is also the author of Warsaw Bikini (Bloof Books, 2008), which was a finalist for numerous prizes including the National Poetry Series; she is also the author of several chapbooks including Used White Wife (Grey Book Press, 2009) and The Humble Travelogues of Mr. Ian Worthington, Written from Land & Sea (Cy Gist, 2006). Her poems have been published in many journals including Poetry, The American Poetry Review, Gulf Coast, The Believer, Colorado Review, Fence, Columbia Poetry Review, Barrow Street, Volt, New Orleans Review and Lana Turner. Her creative nonfiction has been published in Post Road and other literary journals. She currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida, and is an Assistant Professor of English at Thomas University in Thomasville, Georgia.

JOE HARRINGTON, is the author of Things Come On (an amneoir) (Wesleyan Univ. Press 2011), a mixed-genre work relating the twinned narratives of the Watergate scandal and his mother's cancer; it was a Rumpus magazine Poetry Book Club selection. He is the author of the chapbook Earth Day Suite (Beard of Bees 2010) and the critical work Poetry and the Public (Wesleyan 2002). His creative work also has appeared in Hotel Amerika, No Tell Motel, 1913, BathHouse, Otoliths, Fact-Simile, and Tarpaulin Sky, among others. He teaches at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Jan 28: Absinthe & Zygote Series

Absinthe & Zygote Series presents

Oni Buchanan & Jon Woodward

reading in total darkness 

Monday, January 28th - 7:30pm 

at 1154 W. Lunt #302  

Oni Buchanan's third poetry book, Must a Violence, is forthcoming from the Kuhl House Poets Series in September 2012, selected by Mark Levine. Her previous books include Spring, a Poetry Honors winner of the 2009 Massachusetts Book Awards and selected by Mark Doty for the 2007 National Poetry Series, and What Animal, selected by Fanny Howe for the University of Georgia Press Contemporary Poetry Series. Oni is also a concert pianist, has released three solo piano CDs, and actively performs across the U.S. and abroad. She lives in Boston with her husband, the poet Jon Woodward.

Jon Woodward was born in Wichita, KS, and has lived in Denver and Fort Collins, CO, as well as Boston and Quincy, MA, where he currently resides. His books are Uncanny Valley (Cleveland State University Poetry Center), Rain (Wave Books), and Mister Goodbye Easter Island (Alice James Books). Other recent projects include a 40-foot-long M0bius strip poem, called "Mockingbird," which was typed on adding machine tape; a suite of time-dependent visual poems called "Poems to Stare At;" and an ongoing poem called "Copyleft," to which quatrains are added at the rate of one per day. He lives in Boston with his wife, poet and pianist Oni Buchanan, and he works at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, where he specializes in digital imaging and a variety of other curatorial activities.

Jan 26: Woodland Pattern Marathon Reading

Saturday, January 26th
10am - 1am

at Woodland Pattern Book Center
720 East Locust Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  
Woodland Pattern Book Center was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Riverwest neighborhood by Anne Kingsbury and Karl Gartung in 1979. The center houses a bookstore with over 25,000 small press titles, in addition to an art gallery where they present exhibitions, artist talks, readings, experimental films, concerts, and writing workshops.

Every year, on the last Saturday of January, over 125 poets, writers, and performers show their support for Woodland Pattern by participating in its Annual Poetry Marathon & Benefit.  All proceeds raised from this event help Woodland Pattern continue its literary programming.  Woodland Pattern is a nonprofit organization, all donations are fully tax deductible.  Individuals can now sponsor readers online through the new “pledge a reader” giving form.

Pledges can be made here, both small and large.
http://woodlandpattern.org/marathon_2013.shtml 

1/30/13 Jeff Helgeson poetry feature night at "the Cafe Gallery" open mic at Gallery Cabaret!

January 30, 7:00 - 9:00PM
The Cafe Gallery 
open mic at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western and Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)
 
Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mic is now the Café Gallery, now at Gallery Cabaret! See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on every other Wednesday from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Come January 30th (7-9pm) for the Jeff Helgeson poetry feature for this open mic! Sign up and read at the open mike before the great feature!

You can also sign up for a later feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow... For info about the open mike and the 2013 schedule (and getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv (or janetkuypers@gmail.com - only if the scars.tv email has problems) with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2013 features is also available on line!

Jan 21: Book launch of Lucky Pierre's America/n

Book Launch:
Lucky Pierre's America/n

on Inauguration Day
Monday, January 21st
6-8pm

at Uncharted Books
2630 N. Milwaukee Ave
http://www.unchartedbooks.com

This Inauguration day, join art collaborative Lucky Pierre and friends for a reading from their new book, America/n. The book is the culmination of a project to investigate the US Constitution.

Lucky Pierre invited artists, activists and scholars to present a section of the Constitution during a 13 hour performance on November 6th, Election Day: Amber Ginsburg, Tom Ginsburg, John Rich, David Kodeski, Robin Cline, Edward Thomas-Herrera, Laura Stempel, Davey K., Aaron Maier, Brandon Alvendia, Jennifer Karmin, Marc Fischer, Melinda Fries, David Isaacson, Chris Schoen, Jen Blair, Jim Snyder, Andrew Fenchel, Alisa Wolfson, Matthew Nicholas, Paul Durica, Anne Elizabeth Moore, Jeffrey Kowalkowski, Don Washington, Robert Metrick & Barrie Cole.

Says Lucky Pierre, "We have created a book, hoping to capture what we learned, what we loved, and what made us laugh. Equal Parts artists book, literary journal, and pocket Constitution, we believe we captured some of the collective experience of the day."  Barrie Cole, David Isaacson and Jeff Kowalkowski will be reading/performing some of their material from the book.  Snacks and drinks provided.  We'll make a toast to the artists and another to the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment.

Facebook event page
here here here

Lucky Pierre
http://www.luckypierre.org

Writing the Unexpected

Registration is open! Writing the Unexpected: Poetry Workshop Saturdays, March 2 – April 27 (class will not meet March 30) 10 am – Noon

Led by Valerie Wallace

The Newberry Library’s resources will be a source for inspiration, information, conversation, and playfulness in this generative workshop. We will use visual art, historical texts, temporary exhibitions, and ephemera to listen, experiment with form, and create new work. Along the way we will attend to the craft of poetry, learning tricks and tips from published pieces. Our goal will be to establish a positive environment for critical feedback and community. Expect to leave the workshop with seven to ten new poems.

Valerie Wallace holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has taught workshops throughout Chicago. She is an editor with RHINO Poetry and the author of The Dictators’ Guide to Good Housekeeping (Dancing Girl Press).

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program.

Cost and registration information: Eight sessions, $190 Register now

Saturday Jan 26th-ECO shall be released

Exact Change Only Release party
Powell's bookstore
1218 South Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60607
4:30-7pm

Maureen Flannery
Bill Tarlin
Paul Barile
Robert Lawrence
Sarah Carson
Elizabeth Harper
Erika Mikkalo
Sandra Santiago
plus
special gurests

Monday January 21st-W4tB featuring Quraysh Ali Lansana+Open Mic

Monday January 21st
Don't miss this super cool feature.
Quraysh Ali Lansana
plus the usual Open Mic antics
sign up at 7:30
showtime 8-10pm
suggested theme:Bad Dreams and Beautiful Nightmares
Jaks Tap Restaurant Bar
901 W. Jackson, Chicago, Illinois 60607

1/16/13 Patrick Hurley poetry feature night at "the Cafe Gallery" open mic at Gallery Cabaret!

January 16, 7:00 - 9:00PM
The Cafe Gallery 
open mic at Gallery Cabaret
2020 N. Oakley Ave.
(a block away from Western and Armitage, by Milwaukee Ave., near a Blue line el stop)
 
Say Aloha! "The Cafe" open mic is now the Café Gallery, now at Gallery Cabaret! See us at 2020 N.Oakley Ave. on every other Wednesday from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. for poetry and performance art. Come January 16th (7-9pm) for the Patrick Hurley poetry feature for this open mic! Sign up and read at the open mike before the great feature!

You can also sign up for a later feature with Janet Kuypers and side-kick Bob Rashkow... For info about the open mike and the 2013 schedule (and getting the chance to sign up for your OWN feature) you can always check out http://www.chaoticarts.org/thecafe/ for the regular podcast, feature videos or future schedules. Email the open mike at thecafe@scars.tv (or janetkuypers@gmail.com - only if the scars.tv email has problems) with any questions, but details about the CALL for 2013 features is also available on line!

(see Patrick Hurley in his 11/7/12 feature at the Café Gallery!)
>

2nd Sunday post apocalypse poetry with the Top Shelf Poets

come on out and spend a Sunday afternoon with some damn fine poets.
Showtime is at 3pm at powell's bookstore in University Village
1218 S. Halsted Chicago, IL 60607
featured poets
Gregorio Gomez
Mars Caulton
Sarah Carson
and Tom Curry

Hosted by the W4tB Weirdos

W4TB FEATURING PAUL FARRELL + OPEN MIC

SIGN UP-7:30
SHOWTIME 8-10
FEATURING:Paul Farrell
SUGGESTED THEME:Where is my mind?

Come check out our cool open mic at Jaks Tap
you can find us in the backroom from 8-10pm (sign up is at 7:30)
our feature is Pentathlon Veteran Paul Farrell
and our suggested theme is "WHERE IS MY MIND?"
GRAB SOME DINNER
HAVE A FEW DRINX AND JOIN US FOR SOME POETRY MADNESS

Jaks Tap Restaurant Bar
901 W. Jackson, Chicago, Illinois 60607