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Summer Poetry Gathering 2025

On Wednesday June 18, join the Chicago Poetry Center for our annual summer celebration! In line with CPC’s anti-censorship roots and wrapping up our 50th anniversary year, the headlining poet for our 2025 Summer […]

Virtual and In Person Writing Workshops May 3 & 9 

We have spent the month of April writing letters to strangers on the internet around the themes of Despair, Love & Tomorrow. We would love to start May by gathering in community and share […]

Blue Hour May 21

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free, public monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House (800 W. Buena) hosted and facilitated by Marty McConnell. Our May featured readers […]

Poetry Out Loud 2025 Illinois State Champion

Monday March 17th was a magnificent day for the Poetry Out Loud 2025 Illinois State Competition. In Illinois this year, 48 high schools were part of Poetry Out Loud, 200 teachers, and over 7,900 […]

Blue Hour April 16

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our April featured readers are Ayokunle Falomo and Viola Lee. The […]

We’re Hiring! Community Outreach Intern

*** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Downloadable PDF – Community Outreach Intern Job Posting SUMMARY Application deadline: March […]

Apply Now – Open Board Call

*** UPDATE: We’re no longer accepting applications. Thank you to all who have applied! We will follow up with all candidates. *** Application Open: March 10 – 31, 2025 Please click here for Board […]

How to Organize a Poetry Manuscript: Presented by C. Russell Price

Are you looking for a way to collect and organize your poems into a manuscript that might one day be published as a chapbook or full-length collection of poetry? Join the Chicago Poetry Center […]

Blue Hour March 19

The Chicago Poetry Center presents BLUE HOUR, a free monthly in-person reading series and generative writing workshop at Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena. Our March featured readers are Sarah Ghazal Ali and R.A. Villanueva. […]

Poetry Out Loud 2025 Chicagoland Regionals Winners!!!

The Chicago Poetry Center is now in its 8th year as Chicagoland Regional Host Organization for the national youth poetry competition, Poetry Out Loud. Poetry Out Loud is a collaborative project of the Illinois […]

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“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
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I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET