Poetry Foundation Announces Virtual Lineup and Outdoor Installation this Fall

CHICAGO, August 24, 2021 — The Poetry Foundation announces virtual programming, workshops, celebrations, and readings open to all, and a first-ever outdoor art installation on the Foundation building exterior in Chicago. While the Foundation building remains closed to the public to prioritize the safety and well-being of staff, guests, and the broader community, an imaginative art installation is accessible from outside.

“We are excited to begin reactivating the Poetry Foundation building by illuminating its exterior with a bold, interactive installation,” said Michelle T. Boone, Poetry Foundation president. “While our events remain virtual this fall for our local, national, and international audiences, this installation signals a new way for Chicagoans to engage with us as we look ahead to reintroducing the space and the Foundation to our communities.”

Outdoor Art Installation featuring Chicagoan Patricia Smith
Starting in October, visitors can immerse themselves in For And Nor But Or Yet So, an outdoor visual and interactive experience that will embrace a portion of the building’s exterior. Created in partnership with graphic designer Bob Faust, the absorptive visual communication experience will pay tribute to poet, mentor, and Chicagoan Patricia Smith; the installation illustrates Smith’s poetic lineage through the use of color and QR codes, which allow visitors to engage with her work and legacy, as well as other special features.

For And Nor But Or Yet So marks the first outdoor and first exterior activation of the Foundation building in downtown Chicago, meant to be viewed from the sidewalk, and outdoor courtyard. The experience is free and open to all.

Monthly Virtual Readings for Young People
Kicking off a new series of virtual readings for young people on September 25, youth and their caregivers can tune in to a reading, live Q&A, and interactive activity for Young People’s Poetry Day with poet and author Marilyn Nelson. Nelson is the 2019 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize recipient, a three-time finalist for the National Book Award, a winner of the Robert Frost medal, and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Foundation, among other honors; her work interweaves verse and US history to create unique storytelling for all ages. 

Bestselling author, poet, and educator Kwame Alexander will host a reading on October 9 for youth and pre-teens. Alexander is a New York Times bestselling author of 35 books, including Swing, Becoming Muhammad Ali, Booked, Rebound, The Undefeated; he is a regular contributor to NPR, is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, three NAACP Image Award nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award.

For the youngest poetry lovers, children ages eight and under can join a reading with Jillian Tamaki on November 13. Tamaki is the author and illustrator of the picture books They Say Blue, a Caldecott Honor book, and Our Little Kitchen, as well as being co-creator (with Mariko Tamaki) of the YA graphic novels SKIM and This One Summer, which won a Governor General’s Award and a Caldecott Honor. 

Young people of all ages, particularly suited for elementary school students, are invited to a reading with Janet Wong, the 2021 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children winner and author of more than 30 books for young people, set for December 11. Wong is a graduate of Yale Law School and a former lawyer who switched careers to become a children’s author; her dramatic career change has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN’s Paula Zahn Show, and Radical Sabbatical.

Readings and Lectures featuring Midwest Writers
Julietta Cheung, Hereaclitus Vernon, Joshua Demaree, and Rachel Herman will share their work at a live virtual reading on September 14, the first in the fall season of the Open Door series which presents work from new and emerging poets, highlighting writing instruction and poetic partnerships. Each event features readings by two Midwest-based writers along with two of their current or recent students or writing partners.

The Open Door series continues to bring several poets to the forefront with Matt Bodett, Amanda Goldblatt, Isaías Rogel, and Ricardo Mondragon who will share their work on October 12. In November, celebrated poets Natasha Mijares, Henry Feller, Jason Vasser-Elong, and Roderick James Jr. come together for a reading. Closing out the series for the year, Saleem Hue Penny, Hayley Kolding, Lillian Gardner, and Precious Musa read on December 14.  

Library Workshops & Book Club
Begin back-to-school season for adult learners with a series of online workshops and discussions with Poetry Foundation Library staff and special guest facilitators, announced on a monthly basis. This month, register for a poetry discussion and creative writing workshop entitled “Poetry As_A Workshop,” created and led by Crista Siglin on August 25, and a workshop with Cindy Juyoung Ok on September 25.

In addition, each month, Library staff moderate an online book club featuring a wide range of classic and contemporary poets, inviting readers to discuss a book provided free of charge to all registered participants in the US. The group will read and discuss The Wild Fox of Yemen by Threa Almontaser on August 27, and Foreign Bodies by Kimiko Hahn on September 24; additional dates and titles to be announced monthly. 

Special Events & Festivals
Save the date for a night celebrating some of the brightest lights in poetry on October 21 for the annual Pegasus Awards honoring a lifetime achievement award for the Ruth Lilly Prize winner, the Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism, and the 2021 cohort of five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellows. 

Starting October 7, the Collaborative Works Festival examines themes of immigration and migration in song in the three-part series Strangers in a Strange Land. The series features the works of a wide range of composers, including Béla Bartók, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Florence Price, many of whom immigrated or migrated during the course of their lifetimes.

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For ongoing updates about the building, events, workshops and more visit www.PoetryFoundation.org and sign up for Events, and Foundation News updates.  

Event Accessibility
Poetry Foundation events are free and open to the public. Readings and events include live captioning and ASL interpretation, unless otherwise noted. If you have additional accessibility needs, please contact [email protected].

About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.

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Media Contact
Sarah Whitcher, Marketing and Media Director, [email protected], 312.799.8016