| |
 |
| UniVerse + Chicago Amplified |
|
|
Northwestern University's 2nd Annual Spring Writers' Festival: A Reading by Naeem Murr
Naeem Murr's first novel, The Boy, was a New York Times Notable Book. His latest novel, The Perfect Man, was awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize for the Best Book of Europe and South Asia. » listen
Recorded on 4.15.2009
Northwestern University 2nd Annual Spring Writers' Festival: A Reading by Dan Beachy-Quick
Dan Beachy-Quick reads from his work as part of Northwestern University's second annual Spring Writers' Festival. » listen
Recorded on 4.14.2009
Love on the Line
Looking for love? What better place to find it than a Valentine's Day celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago. Hear prize-winning poets Paul Muldoon and Frank Bidart read poems about love in "Love on the Line." » listen
Recorded on 2.14.2009
UniVerse of Free Expression: A Celebration of International Poetry
This event features readings by Ofelia Zepeda, Fady Joudah, Kwame Dawes, and Valzhyna Mort. With a live scored film screening of "War Rug" by Francesco Levato, and a special remembrance of Nadia Anjoman. » listen
Recorded on 2.13.2009
A Writers' Congress: Chicago Poets on the Inauguration of Barack Obama
Chris Green, a visiting fellow at DePaul University’s Humanities Center, invited seventy-five acclaimed poets in Chicago to contribute to an anthology honoring the inauguration of President Barack Obama. » listen
Recorded on 1.20.2009
L'incontro (the encounter)
L'incontro (the encounter) is an evening of experimental and emerging voices in Italian poetry featuring work read in the original Italian and in English translation. » listen
Recorded on 12.10.2008
Green + Free: Solstice Celebration of Poetry & Music
The celebration of "future now" continues in Chicago with Green + Free, featuring nationally renowned performance and page poets Kristy Bowen, Kevin Coval, Onam Liduba, James Reiss and Cin Salach. » listen
Recorded on 12.7.2008
21st C. <l’Âge Poétique>: The 1st Annual St.-John Perse Commemorative Reading
Listen in and celebrate individuals who demonstrate a consistent dedication and integrity of vision, humanity, innovation and artistry in their writing, increasing the dialogue and significance of poetry within a greater society. » listen
Recorded on 11.21.2008
The Poetry Center of Chicago presents Li-Young Lee
Li-Young Lee is the author of four critically acclaimed books of poetry, his most recent being Behind My Eyes (W.W. Norton, 2008). » listen
Recorded on 10.20.2008
|
| Upcoming Events |
|
|
UniVerse of Free Expression
A Festival of International Poetry
presented by:
UniVerse of Poetry in association with The Illinois Humanities Council, Chicago Public Radio, Chicago Amplified, Contratiempo, Affrilachian Poets and Mars Gallery.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
7:00 PM
Mars Gallery
www.marsgallery.com
1139 W. Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226-7808
Join us for a celebration of internationally acclaimed poets and visionaries.
This event initiates opportunities for international poets—many of whom are refugees—to be heard, read and studied. These poets often transcend hardship, isolation and exile to write the enduring human story.
The celebration continues with a live performance of poetry and music by Saint Cloud, “a sensual banquet of music & poetry, passion & spirituality,” an exquisite sample of the global renaissance of the marriage of poetry and music and new performance media.
UniVerse of Poetry is an online archive, interactive forum, and celebration of international poetry encouraging universal dialogue, compassion and peace. UniVerse honors courageous poets from every nation of the world, regardless of territory, also including oral traditionalists, poets working in endangered languages and poets collaborating with music and film. Curricula is being developed to enable schools and universities worldwide to utilize UniVerse as a free resource.
UniVerse of Poetry is an artist-in-residence at FLATfile Galleries, Chicago. Associate organizations include Chicago Public Radio; United Nations Society of Writers; Illinois Humanities Council; Blue Flower Arts; Chicago Publishers Gallery at the Cultural Center; Northwestern University; De Paul Humanities Center; Chicago Sister Cities International; Rattapallax; Affrilachian Poets; Contratiempo; Torino Poesia; TWiN Poetry, UK; and Shakespeare & Company, Paris. UniVerse is sponsored by foundations, corporations and individuals internationally including The Illinois Humanities Council, Whole Foods Market, The Irving B. Harris Foundation, BP America, and Seyfarth Shaw.
UniVerse of Free Expression
A Festival of International Poetry
presented by:
Chicago Public Radio (312-948-4600) in partnership with UniVerse of Poetry
Friday, February 13, 2009
8 PM
Chicago Center for the Performing Arts
www.theaterland.com
777 N. Green Street
Chicago, IL 60622
Join us for a celebration of internationally acclaimed poets and visionaries. Hosted by UniVerse of Poetry, this historic evening will feature readings by Kwame Dawes (Jamaica/Ghana); Fady Joudah (Palestine); Ilya Kaminsky (Ukraine); Ofelia Zepeda (Tohono O’odham Nation), poetry films by Franceso Levato and Ram Devineni and a celebratory remembrance of Nadia Anjoman (a young Afghani woman who was murdered after the publication of her book of poems Gol-e Dudi/Smokey Flower).
Despite globalization, translations make up only 1% of the literature published in the United States. This event initiates opportunities for international poets—many of whom are refugees—to be heard, read and studied. These poets often transcend hardship, isolation and exile to write the enduring human story.
The celebration continues with a live performance by Pont des Arts Ensemble—featuring poetry and music by Richard Fammerée, Carrie Ingrisano and Rachel Jamison Webster with cellist Meg Lauterbach, guitarist Victor Sanders and percussionist Meg Thomas—accompanied by a complimentary organic buffet provided by Whole Foods Market.
UniVerse of Poetry is an online archive, interactive forum, and celebration of international poetry encouraging universal dialogue, compassion and peace.
UniVerse honors courageous poets from every nation of the world, regardless of territory, also including oral traditionalists, poets working in endangered languages and poets collaborating with music and film. Curricula is being developed to enable schools and universities worldwide to utilize UniVerse as a free resource.
UniVerse of Poetry is an artist-in-residence at FLATfile Galleries, Chicago. Associate organizations include Chicago Public Radio; Pont des Arts Ensemble; TWiN Poetry, UK; and Shakespeare & Company, Paris. UniVerse is sponsored by foundations, corporations and individuals internationally including Whole Foods Market, The Irving B. Harris Foundation, BP America, and Seyfarth Shaw.
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs – Chicago, February 11-14, 2009 Each year, The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), holds its Annual Conference in a different region of North America to celebrate the outstanding authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers, and small press publishers of that region. The Annual Conference typically features 300 presentations: readings, lectures, panel discussions (including “World
Survival: Cultural Translation and the Public Responsibility of the Poet,” hosted by UniVerse of Poetry), and forums plus hundreds of book signings, receptions and informal gatherings. The conference attracts more than 5,000 attendees and more than 400 publishers. It’s one of the largest and liveliest literary gatherings in North America, and is coinciding with UniVerse of Free Expression: A Festival of International Poetry.
Chicago Public Radio
312-948-4600
$15/general admission
$12/Chicago Public Radio members
$12/Victory Gardens subscribers and AWP Attendees
$10/students (with ID)
UniVerse Celebrates National Poetry Month
Thursday, April 10, 2008
7 PM
Oak Park Public Library
834 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60301
708-383-8200
www.oppl.org
Celebrate National Poetry Month with a reading by award-winning poets Kelly Norman Ellis, Director of the Creative Writing Program at Chicago State University; Francesco Levato, Artistic Director of UniVerse and Director of the Poetry Center of Chicago; Stephen Young, Programming Director of the Poetry Foundation; Richard Fammeree, Director of UniVerse; and Rachel Webster, Editor of UniVerse.
The Marriage of Poetry
Friday, April 4, 2008
5:30 PM to midnight
FLATFILEgalleries
217 North Carpenter Street
Chicago IL 60607
312.491.1190
www.flatfilegalleries.com
FREE. Donations will benefit UniVerse of Poetry.
The Marriage of Poetry introduces the new global poetry renaissance. Poetry will be featured in its many forms and delicious liaisons: poetry and music, poetry with film, photography and performance. When paired with dance, visual art, and—for the first time—world fashion, poetry connects, guides and thrills. Join us for this multi-artistic collaborative night of expression and celebration – “A Millennial Renaissance!” See the invitation here.
|
| Ongoing Programs |
|
|
Expanding Our Community
Our archive of poets tripled in size in 2007, and we expect it to triple again in 2008, bringing us closer to our goal of featuring at least one poet from every nation in the world, regardless of territory. Poets set to join our community in 2008 include W.S. Merwin, representing the United States; Mario Susko, representing Croatian Bosnia; Hyemeyohsts Storm, representing the Mixed Blood people of Canada; and Stella Radulescu, representing Romania.
Creating Tools for Teachers
Look for the new “Teach this Poem” feature on our site, offering context, questions and writing exercises in response to UniVerse poems. We also plan to provide free, accessible lesson plans, worksheets and pedagogy articles to assist secondary and post-secondary educators around the world in the teaching of International Poetry.
|
| Previous UniVerse Events |
|
|
In 2007, UniVerse hosted five celebratory readings, all of which were well-attended.
The “Epiphany” Reading took place on January 6 at Blackoffee Café in Roger’s Park in Chicago. This event featured many admirable poets and began our valued relationships with Advisor Deborah Nodler Rosen and Board Members Edward Lannan and Arica Hilton.
“Voices of Creation” was held at Small Town Coffee on the Island of Kauai, on March 13, 2007. The evening featured the most vibrant poets and singer-songwriters on the island and included several international artists, including Kimba Arem, Millicent Cummings, Ann West, Peter Wood, Eddie Free and Omashar X.
The “One Poem” Reading was held on May 22 at the stunning Flatfile Galleries, located at 217 N. Carpenter Street, Chicago. Twenty poets and patrons read during this inspiring evening, sharing their own poems and favorites from the site. Acclaimed participating poets included Mark Perlberg, Simone Muench, Elise Paschen and Joanne Diaz. Wild Oats in Evanston donated beverages and snacks for the event and Nicolau Santos, Christos Takoudis and Richard Fammerée provided evocative musical entertainment. The evening was further enriched by the installation and presentation of internationally acclaimed Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal, who lived in one room of the gallery for a month, where he measured the violence and compassion of humanity as people observed him online and chose either to shoot paint at him or protect him from the shooting. After “One Poem,” Gallery Director Susan Aurinko invited UniVerse to become Artists-in-Residence at Flatfile Galleries.
On October 27, UniVerse hosted “21 Poets Start the Evolution,” at Café Ennui in Chicago’s Roger’s Park. The evening featured readings by a talented group of poets including Omer Hadziz Chris Green, Ralph Hamilton, Dina Ellenbogan, Stella Radulescu and others.
On November 21, UniVerse presented “Free Verse” at Flatfile Galleries, which featured musical guests, a film by Francesco Levato and our first Peace Reading. The Peace Reading brought together poets from Palestine, Israel and Turkey, allowing them to share heartfelt, candid words side by side. Whole Foods in Evanston donated $1,200 worth of gourmet food and wine for the event and Palestinian musician Issa Boulos peformed traditional music.
|
| Community Events |
|
|
On Tuesday, April 19th from 6:30 to 8:30pm, STOP Foodborne Illness is hosting an evening, Hear Their Voices, with authors James Ragan and Michele Weldon. The suggested donation is $25 ($10 for students) They will be joining STOP Foodborne Illness on the campus of DeVry University at 3300 N Campbell (Western & Belmont), and will be doing some reading as well as having Q&A with the audience. Since seating is limited, STOP Foodborne Illness suggests reserving a spot ahead of time at http://STOPHearTheirVoices.eventbrite.com.
The website for STOP Foodborne Illness is www.safetables.org. All proceeds benefit STOP Foodborne Illness.
James Ragan is an award winning poet, playwright, essayist and translator and, for 25 years, served as the Director of the University of Southern California's Professional Writing Program. Ragan has read his poetry at the United Nations (2001) and for six heads of state including Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR), Vaclav Klaus (Czech Republic), and Young-Hoon Kang (South Korea). In 1985 he was invited to perform at the First International Poetry Festival in Moscow with Seamus Heaney, Robert Bly and Bob Dylan.
Michele Weldon is nationally recognized as a journalist, author, keynote speaker and assistant professor at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. "Michele Weldon's Writing to Save Your Life Workshops" are offered quarterly in Chicago and by special arrangement around the country. For more than 30 years, her award-winning journalistic work has appeared in hundreds of magazines, newspapers and online sites. Weldon uses her words to inform and inspire.
|
|
|
|
