Dispatch from Chicago: some events to attend

Thursday, March 1

9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

State Ballroom

Palmer House Hilton, 4th floor

Who Can Say Who Are Citizens? Poets? 
(Lytton Smith, Brian Teare, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Sarah Gambito, Melissa Castillo-Garsow)
State Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
Charles Olson wondered whether anyone should “say who are citizens.” At a time when U.S. citizenship places conditions on sexual, religious, and political behavior, this panel explores how poetry and poetic prose can transform citizenship definitions through techniques including found materials, drama, and lyric autobiography. Five contemporary poets working in various poetic modes discuss their own work and the work of important, neglected poetic forebears in terms of U.S. citizenship.

10:30 AM – 11: 45 AM

Red Lacquer Room

Palmer House Hilton, 4th floor

A Celebration of Tia Chucha Press: Over Twenty Years of Democracy in Verse
(Luis J. Rodriguez, Michael Warr, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Luivette Resto)
Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
Tia Chucha Press has been a leader in publishing artistically innovative and culturally provocative voices in poetry. The roster of poets the Press has brought to publication reflects a deep commitment to diversity and features established artists such as Elizabeth Alexander, Virgil Suarez, and Diane Glancy, as well as first books by award-winning poets Terrance Hayes, A. Van Jordan, and Patricia Smith. Tia Chucha Press has had a powerful impact on the literary world as a very important first press for many poets and a respectable, high-quality press for all.

12:00 Noon – 1:15 PM

Wiliford B

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

Pat Mora: Eloquence and Bookjoy. Presented by Con Tinta and Pilgrimage Magazine
(Diana Garcia, Pat Mora, Beatriz Terrazas, John Drury, Xánath Caraza)
Wiliford B, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Pat Mora reads published and new poetry, exploring the interrelatedness of writing for adults, teens, and children. As a trailblazing Latina writer and a founder of Dia de Libros/Dia de Niños, Mora models integration of literary work with literacy advocacy. A tribute and conversation follows the reading, featuring poets, scholars, and reviewers elevating Mora’s inspiring legacy.

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM

Lake Erie

Hilton Chicago, 8th floor

Latino Masculinities: Revisioning Male Identity in Contemporary Latino Literature
(Aaron Michael Morales, Paul Martinez-Pompa, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Daniel Chacon)
Lake Erie, Hilton Chicago, 8th Floor
Often relegated to the term machismo, Latino masculinity is a multifaceted and complicated element of Latino existence. The recent rise of contemporary Latino writers exploring masculine identity is dramatically impacting Latino literature. This panel will discuss the ways in which these authors represent, dissect, and consider the implications and definitions of Latino masculinity, as well as how the concept and reality of masculinity and gender identity informs their work.

3:00 PM.-4:15 PM

Wiliford A

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

Out of the Melting Pot, Into the Fire—Building and Sustaining a Culturally-Specific Reading Series
(Mary Hawley, Paul Martinez-Pompa, Johanny Vázquez Paz, Yolanda Nieves)
Wiliford A, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Eavesdrop on administrators, curators, and featured artists discussing the dynamic, sometimes conflicted history of Chicago’s longest-running Latino reading series: the Guild Literary Complex’s Palabra Pura. In its seventh year, PP juggles a long-standing mission of culture-specific work with the need for regular reinvention. This discussion touches on issues of race and authenticity, cultural production and ownership, as well as community outreach and institutional integrity. In other words, it can get heated.

4:30 PM-5:45 PM

Empire Ballroom

Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level

You Wrote It, Now Promote It: DIY Publicity for the Busy Writer
(Brendan Constantine, Kim Dower, Janice Eidus, Elise Paschen, Douglas Kearney)
Empire Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level
At a time when publishing is in a profound state of flux, there is no one right way to promote a book. Whether you do fifty events in fifty days or six in six months, there are ways to find and connect with an audience. Each panelist in this diverse group has stories to share of the modern marketing tactics they’ve used to promote their work. Join them for a wide-ranging discussion on the hazards and unexpected pleasures of juggling a new book with a new baby, family, jobs, and sanity.

8:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Auditorium Theater, Roosevelt University

50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60605

AWP 2012 Keynote Address by Margaret Atwood. Sponsored by Roosevelt University MFA in Creative Writing
(Margaret Atwood)
Auditorium Theatre, Roosevelt University, 50 East Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60605
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than thirty-five volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and nonfiction and is perhaps best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. Her most recent works include Oryx and Crake, The Tent, Moral Disorder, and The Door. Her nonfiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, was part of the Massey Lecture series, and her most recent novel is The Year of the Flood. Her work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic, and Estonian.

Friday, March 2

9:00 AM – 10: 15 AM

Continental C

Hilton Chicago, Lobby Level

Back from the Crash: Michigan Authors Reflect on Crisis and Renewal
(Lolita Hernandez, Laura Thomas, Keith Taylor, Kevin Rashid)
Continental C, Hilton Chicago, Lobby Level
For many Michiganders, the Great Recession is the latest in a chain of extraordinary crashes. This panel will examine how Michigan’s writers have chronicled the displaced caught in a decade-long recession. From Detroit’s urban landscape to the state’s great wilderness, join our panel of authors for readings and discussions on rendering the voices of struggle and recovery, what work means when paying jobs vanish, and how perceptions of natural resources change in tough economic times.

10:30 AM-11:45 AM

Private Dining Room 2

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

Trading Stories with the Enemy: Navigating the Cuban/American Literary Landscape
(Patricia Ann McNair, Achy Obejas, Ruth Behar, Kristin Dykstra)
Private Dining Room 2, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
The relationship between the U.S. and Cuba is complex and ever-evolving, and this evolution is reflected in the stories and publications of Cubans and Cuban Americans. While the two governments grapple with politics and policies, writers and editors continue to cross borders and boundaries in order to collect and share these stories. Our panelists have been actively engaged in this process for years and will speak about the challenges and rewards of this work.

12:00 Noon-1:15 PM

Waldorf

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

American Poets Respond to Major Global Trauma
(Linda Hogan, Pamela Uschuk, Richard Jackson, William Pitt Root, Martín Espada)
Waldorf, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Integrating Latino, Native American, immigrant, and Anglo perspectives, American poets address human suffering resulting from racism, eco disasters, tyranny, genocide, and war. Moderator Hogan is Writer in Residence of the Chickasaw Nation. Latino poet Espada is a human rights advocate. Uschuk explores U.S. immigrant issues. Root’s The Unbroken Diamond explores Afghanistan’s war history. Jackson won the Order of Freedom for humanitarian and literary work in the Balkans.

1:30 PM-2:45 PM

Red Lacquer Room

Palmer House Hilton, 4th floor

First Things First: What It’s Really Like to Win a Book Contest
(Melissa Stein, Keetje Kuipers, J. Michael Martinez, Iain Haley Pollock, Nick Lantz)
Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
What actually happens after winning a first-book prize? Recent winners of five top poetry awards—the Walt Whitman, APR/Honickman, Bakeless, Cave Canem, and A. Poulin, Jr.—candidly discuss surprises and challenges and how publication changed (and didn’t change) their lives and their relationships to their writing. With all the benefits of 20/20 hindsight, they’ll share experiences with—and tips on—manuscript submission, the revision process, cover design, and the mysteries of book promotion.

3:00 PM-4:15 PM

Grand Ballroom

Hilton Chicago, 2nd floor

A Reading and Conversation with Luis J. Rodriguez and Dagoberto Gilb, Sponsored by Macondo Writers’ Workshop
(John Phillip Santos, Luis J. Rodriguez, Dagoberto Gilb)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
The event will be a reading of selected and new works by two of the most important American writers reflecting on the experiences and story tradition of the Latino community. Both Luis J. Rodriguez and Dagoberto Glib are also involved in innovative initiatives in creative writing education and community efforts committed to positive social change. Question and answer with discussion will follow.

4:30 PM-5:45 PM

International Ballroom South

Hilton Chicago, 2nd floor

Finding Home - Immigrant Voices in American Literature
(Noreen Tomassi, Stuart Dybek, Nami Mun, Aleksandar Hemon)
International Ballroom South, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
The session will involve readings and discussion with three leading authors who will illuminate how immigrant writings have influenced American literature and culture over the last fifty years.

8:30 PM – 10: 00 PM

Grand Ballroom

Hilton Chicago, 2nd floor

A Reading and Conversation with Esmeralda Santiago and Jesmyn Ward, Sponsored by Columbia College Chicago Poetry & Nonfiction Programs
(Esmeralda Santiago, Jesmyn Ward, Samuel Park)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
A reading and conversation by best-selling authors Esmeralda Santiago and Jesmyn Ward. The event will be introduced and moderated by Columbia College faculty member and novelist Samuel Park.

Saturday, March 3

9:00 AM-10:15 AM

Honoré Ballroom

Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level

S120. Queer Poets of Color on Craft: The Art of Decolonization
(Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán, Samiya Bashir, Deborah A. Miranda, Ching-In Chen, Tamiko Beyer)
Honoré Ballroom, Palmer House Hilton, Lobby Level
There is power in craft. Poets use craft to create possibility, ways of seeing, hearing, and moving the world, re-envisioning it. Queer poets of color use multiple techniques to shape language on the page and stage, the way words flicker across glowing screens and beat against the drums of our ears. From the generation and arrangement of text, to shifts in narrativity and delivery, to the use of multiple registers and media, this panel explores the decolonial power of skillful wor(l)d-weaving.

10:30 AM-11:45 AM

Wiliford B

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

¡Wáchale! Chicana/Chicano Authors Celebrate Debut Novels
(Daniel Chacon, Lucrecia Guerrero, Daniel A. Olivas, Melinda Palacio)
Wiliford B, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Critic Rigoberto González has said that reading a Chicano novel is a commitment to a sustained exchange with a thriving culture and a proud people. Come hear four Chicano authors confirm and celebrate the continuum of a literary tradition. Through varied aesthetics and attitudes, the debut novels document the stages of a community’s growth. Their audience will experience distinct voices that teach the world not to fabricate or twist the truth of our histories because they're all written down in ink.

12:00 Noon-1:15 PM

Dispatches from the Front: Creative Work and Social Justice


Joliet

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

(Ann Stewart, Brenda Cardenas, Roberto Harrison, Lane Hall, Timothy Yu)
Joliet, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
In this cross-genre panel, a group of Wisconsin writers, artists, and scholars will hold forth on the current fight for workers’ rights and socioeconomic justice in that state and across the nation. Presentations will include observations about the way in which art, poetry, and other creative forms have been instrumental in documenting ongoing activism. The panel will then engage in a discussion about the role of creative writing and art, being themselves forms of labor, in political struggle.

The Open Light: Poets from Notre Dame


Wiliford C

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

(Orlando Menes, Jenny Boully, Stacy Cartledge, John Phillip Santos, Mike Smith)
Wiliford C, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
Poets read from their exciting work and discuss how Notre Dame has formed their craft and their vision. Experience their vibrant and provocative poetry, which showcases the rich cultural and aesthetic diversity of this leading Catholic university. Come celebrate the recent publication of The Open Light: Poets from Notre Dame, 1991-2008, edited by Orlando Ricardo Menes.

1:30 PM-2:45 PM

Red Lacquer Room

Palmer House Hilton, 4th floor

191. Coloring Outside the Lines
(Sandra M. Yee, J. Michael Martinez, Jamaal May, Dina Omar, Jane Wong)
Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, 4th Floor
Poets and scholars who identify as writers of color explore connections between racial/ethnic identity and writing. How do we respond to the pressure to represent our cultures? How can we create better support systems for each other? Can (should) we initiate healthier dialogues on race, and who is obliged to take a leadership role in initiating this kind of dialogue? And what does our own writing reveal about how we’re redefining the boundaries of racial and ethnic identity?

3:00 PM-4:15 PM

Lake Huron

Hilton Chicago, 8th floor

Migrant Voices in the Latino Heartland: The Latino Writers Collective’s Migrant Youth Writers Workshop
(Miguel M. Morales, Jose Faus, Gabriela N. Lemmons, Jason Sierra, Linda Rodriguez)
Lake Huron, Hilton Chicago, 8th Floor
Latino Writers Collective members, including former migrant youth, youth advocates, and students, lead a learning circle on their groundbreaking Migrant Youth Writers workshop, now in its fourth year. Learn how the Latino Writers Collective collaborates with local agencies, colleges and universities in the Midwest. Discover how the workshop helps youth identify and nurture their long silenced voices as migrant youth in the Heartland. Recognize simple ways you can help.

4:30 PM-5:45 PM

Joliet

Hilton Chicago, 3rd floor

Four Tongues of Poetic Resistance
(Francisco X. Alarcón, Jorge Tetl Argueta, Carlos Cumpián, Odilia Galván Rodríguez)
Joliet, Hilton Chicago, 3rd Floor
The lives and works of these poets encompass experiences shared by many in the Americas: California, the U.S. Southwest, Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Chicago. Alarcón and Galván Rodríguez are moderators of Poets Responding to SB 1070; Argueta through Talleres de Poesía promotes children’s literature in El Salvador; Cumpián is an activist poet/editor of March Abrazo Press in Chicago.

8:30 PM-10:00 PM

Grand Ballroom

Hilton Chicago, 2nd floor

Academy of American Poets Presents Nikky Finney and Lyn Hejinian
(Tree Swenson, Lyn Hejinian, Nikky Finney)
Grand Ballroom, Hilton Chicago, 2nd Floor
The Academy of American Poets presents an event featuring two prestigious poets, Nikky Finney and Lyn Hejinian, who will be reading their own work.

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This is a drop in the bucket in terms of the sessions taking place this week in Chicago. To learn what else is on, visit HERE.