Featured Readers
Amari AmaiAmari Amai (he/they) is a Black nonbinary storyteller, poet, playwright, and worldbuilder born and raised in Chicago. As a Great Migration baby with roots in Jackson, Mississippi, Amari’s work is rooted in oral tradition and archival resurrection on and off the page, using poetry, folklore, soundscapes, and performance to bend time towards a pre-colonial past and decolonized future. Their work has received support and fellowships from Tin House, Periplus Collective, Sundress Academy for the Arts, Hyde Park Art Center, The Watering Hole, Vermont Studio Center, and Celebration Theater of Los Angeles. Amari is the founder of Crossroads Writers Collective, a communal writing group for Black queer folks based in Chicago. As a 2025 Pushcart Prize and 2026 Best of the Net nominee, they are currently at work on their debut poetry collection and accompanying performance series.
Event Details
When Monday, August 17, 2026
6:00 pm
Where The Green at 320
320 S. Canal St. Chicago, IL 60606
About the Reading
This summer, join us to hear featured poets share their work in this partnership between Chicago Poetry Center and The Green at 320 S. Canal St. (aka The Green at 320). After every reading, stick around for the open mic to share your own poems, stories, songs, and more. Check our website or our Instagram for weekly updates on featured readers.
Accessibility, Health, & Safety
The Chicago Poetry Center believes poetry should be enjoyed by all. The main staired entrance to the park is on the corner of Clinton and Van Buren with an ADA-accessible ramp off of Clinton. The park is located one block north of the Clinton Blue Line. The park is ADA compliant and features smooth, level pathways, accessible seating areas, and barrier-free entry points to ensure ease of navigation for individuals using wheelchairs, mobility devices, or strollers.
ASL Interpretation and other accommodations may be provided upon request. Please send any accommodations requests or questions to timothy@poetrycenter.org. If you’d like to request an ASL interpreter at Poetry at the Green, please email timothy@poetrycenter.org two weeks before the event date.
