February Events at the Poetry Foundation

PERFORMANCE Harriet Reading Series Performance by Jennifer Tamayo Thursday, February 5 6:30 PM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free admission The Harriet Reading Series features talks, performances, and readings by poets whose work has appeared on the Poetry Foundation’s blog. Jennifer Tamayo is a Colombian-born transnational artist and activist based in New York City.     READING & DISCUSSION Meena Alexander Thursday, February 12 6:00 PM Museum of Contemporary Photography 600 South Michigan Avenue Free admission Acclaimed poet, scholar, and writer Meena Alexander will read from and discuss her work. Presented in conjunction with MoCP and the Creative Writing Department of Columbia College Chicago.     POETRY OUT LOUD Chicago Regionals Friday, February 13 10:30 AM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free admission Champions from Chicago high schools recite classic and contemporary poems for the chance to represent Illinois at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, DC, in April.      PERFORMANCE Love, What Language Do You Speak? Saturday, February 14 5:00 PM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free admission Please join an international gathering of cultural organizations for a multimedia, multilingual evening of poetry, music, film, and theater in celebration of Valentine’s Day.     READINGS The Open Door Readings: February Tuesday, February 17 7:00 PM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free admission The Open Door series presents work from Chicago’s new and emerging poets and highlights the area’s outstanding writing programs. In February, School of the Art Institute's Rosellen Brown and her student Judith Valente read with Columbia College's Joshua Young and his student Harlee Logan Kelly.     PERFORMANCE The Penelopiad Sunday – Tuesday February 22, 3:00PM February 23 & 24, 7:00PM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free Admission The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood, tells the story of Penelope, the dutiful wife of wily Odysseus, as she reflects on her life and the events of The Odyssey from beyond the grave. Directed by Erica Barnes with original music by Joshua Dumas. Co-sponsored by the Lost Geneva Project     PERFORMANCE A Special Edition of Children's Poemtime:The Banjo Poet Wednesday, February 25 10:00 AM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free Admission Michael J. Miles, one of America's greatest clawhammer banjo players, is an avid fan of poetry in performance. Join us for a joyful session of live banjo, participatory poems, rhyming games, and some do-it-yourself troubadouring.      PERFORMANCE Michael Miles: From Senegal to Seeger Thursday, February 26, 7:00PM Poetry Foundation 61 West Superior Street Free Admission Michael J. Miles's acclaimed one-man show features the musical and written works of Pete Seeger, Carl Sandburg, Woody Guthrie, Walt Whitman, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mark Twain, and others. Protest, passion, politics, poetry—the banjo is the voice of the people. WINTER CHICAGO EVENTS SCHEDULE

Forward to a friend Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Submit an event If you would like your poetry event to be included in the Around the City Newsletter, please e-mailmedia@poetryfoundation.org with a web link to your event site. Also include the event sponsor or series, names of featured poets, and date and time. January 28: Language Matters with Bob Holman 7:00 PM: Noted filmmaker David Grubin and poet Bob Holman have teamed up to produce Language Matters, a two-hour documentary that asks: What do we lose when a language dies? What does it take to save a language?