Poet Kamden Hilliard discusses debt, wealth, skipping checks, and their process of finding the polyphonic voicing in their poem “This isthe Bartender from Freddy’s Eff Yu Don’t Cum Bak 2 Settle Yr Check Im Calling theCops”
Poet Emily Jungmin Yoon reads her poem, "Say Grace," and discusses protest poetry, her Korean-Canadian background, and her forthcoming poetry collection.
Poet Sara Jane Stoner reads a poem, "Work Crazy," from her new chapbook GRIEF HOUR, and discusses the relationship of work and craziness, the ambivalent feminine, and the importance of a sentence.
Poet Beyza Ozer reads their poem “I was always too fat and scared to try to cartwheel” from their book, Fail Better, and talks about the complicated intersections between being queer, trans, and Muslim, and how that manifests in their work.
Poet Kevin Coval reads a poem from his newest poetry collection, A People's History of Chicago, and talks about how hip hop, storytelling, and the poetics of placed have influenced him as an artist and writer.
Poet Daniel Borzutzky discusses Chicago and Latin American politics, and how they influenced his book, The Performance of Becoming Human, which won the National Book Award for poetry in 2016.
Nickole Brown reads and discusses a poem from her book, "Fanny Says," which is a biography-in-poems of her grandmother. She talks about growing up in the south and the influence Fanny had on her life and career.
Poet Tara Betts discusses Chicago, hip hop, cultural memory, and how they influence her work. She reads her poem, "A Lesson from the Terrordome," from her new book, "Break the Habit."
Poet Erika L. Sánchez discusses how her background and politics shape her writing. She reads her poem, "A woman runs on the first day of spring," originally published in ESPN.