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| Upcoming Events |
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The Festival of Free Expression
Friday, February 13, 2009
6 PM
Location to be determined
The Festival of Free Expression will feature readings by acclaimed and underground refugee poets, along with artwork, music and films by and about exiled artists. The exhibit and performances will be held at a local university and at Flatfile Galleries, where UniVerse will serves as Artist-in-Residence. We have also begun planning poetry workshops for adults and children living in refugee camps in Africa and in Middle East.
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.
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| Ongoing Programs |
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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.
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| Universe in 2007 |
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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.
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