April is National Poetry Month, but some poets here say Chicago celebrates poetry
all year round.
The city boasts a Poetry Foundation, a Poetry Center and poetry reading events on
almost any night of the week.
Chicago even has an official Poetry Tour, which includes Poet Laureate Gwendolyn
Brooks’s neighborhood library, the Union Stock Yards, where Chicago became Carl
Sandburg’s “Hog Butcher for the World,” and The Green Mill lounge in Edgewater, home of
the "slam poetry" launched in 1987.The tour also takes in Maxwell Street and Chess
Records, which were inspirations for bluesy poets, and Haymarket Square, a memorial to
the labor movement.
“The pool of poets here and competition is crazy,” said Jermaine Clark, 24, of Wicker
Park. “I’ve performed at Young Chicago Authors, Multikulti, and the Underground Lounge.
I’ve listened at many more.”
It is not difficult to find a place to sit and listen or perform; there are places
throughout the city and neighborhoods that host Spoken Word, Poetry Slams and Open
Mikes.
Many adolescents in Chicago are aware of the poetry scene. Many young poets said
the city offers great support to young artists, giving many of them opportunities to express
and show off their talents.
“I know that currently many areas in Chicago provide fantastic forums for youth
poetry and open mics,” said Sydney Thomas, 21, of West Loop. “For instance, the Harold
Washington Library’s youth center gave a lot of Chicago hip-hop artists a chance to flex
their lyrical muscles including Dally Auston and Chance the Rapper, who is featured on the
outside of the center.”
Young Chicago Authors, in Wicker Park, hosts a weekly free writer’s workshop
followed by WordPlay, (Chicago’s longest running youth open mic). Every Tuesday, YCA
packs a full house from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
In March, YCA hosted its 13th annual competition “Louder Than a Bomb.” Founded in
2001 by Kevin Coval and Anna West of YCA, "Louder Than a Bomb" is now the largest
youth slam in the world. 2011 had its largest attendance yet with over 70 teams competing.
Participants ranged from middle school to college. The goal was to draw diverse
youth from around the Chicago area, as well as some areas in Indiana.
A documentary film about the competition opened in New York in July 2010 and
again in Los Angeles in August 2010 at the 14th Annual DocuWeeks.
“Louder Than a Bomb always seems to have a strong presence and interest within
the city,” said Thomas.
Some poets said they particularly appreciate National Poetry Month in April.
Asha Sporn, 18, of Oak Park, said, “I write throughout the year; however, April is a good
exercise for me as I am participating in the 30/30 challenge where you write one poem a
day. I may or may not be a little behind."
Some of the monthly events in April include: Uncommon Ground (Wrigleyville)
“Story Club” every Thursday, 8 p.m.; Township (Logan Square) “I Shit You Not!” the last
Thursday of every month, 8 p.m.; The Venue (South Loop) “Solo Saturdays at The Venue”
the second Saturday of every Month, 8 p.m.; Le Fleur de Lis (Bronzeville) “Asylum
Sundays,” 7 p.m.; Green Mill (Uptown) “Uptown Poetry Slam,” every Sunday, 7 p.m.;
Shambles Bar (Ukrainian Village/East Village) “The Shit Show Open Mic,” last Friday of
every month, 8.pm.