Events
January 24th, 2023 - Chicago, IL.
Named one of the nominees for the City of Chicago’s inaugural Poet Laureate.
August 2022
Awarded the Norbert Blei Literary Scholarship.
June 2022
Awarded the Kenyon Review Online Workshop for Teachers Scholarship.
February 17, 2022 - Heart Chicago: A Virtual Reading
The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will team up
with contributing authors from Open Heart Chicago:
An Anthology of Chicago Writers to present a special virtual reading.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
November 12th, 2021 - Chicago, IL.
Reading Launching Open Heart Chicago: An Anthology of Chicago Writing
7pm @ Exile in Bookville
October 16th, 2021
Open Heart Chicago: An Anthology of Chicago Writing
Available Now!
June 7th, 2021 - Complex Brooks Day 2021Celebration
A celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks birth with readings of her work by members of the Guild community.
All video contributions can be viewed in full here.
I was honored to read Brooks’s poem "kitchenette building."
February 21st, 2021 - Hours Virtual Contributors Reading
The online reading includes a short "open mic" with After Hours #41 contributors
(including David Mathews) and a featured reading by AH41 featured writer Marci Rae Johnson.
To view the Live Stream, click here.
4pm
August 20th, 2020 - Reading via Zoom & YouTubeLive
After Hours Virtual Contributors Reading
Celebrating After Hours Issue #40 & their 20th Anniversary
7pm
May 11th, 2020 - Reading via Zoom
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Featuring Winners of After Hours Magazine's
Mary Blinn Poetry Prize
7pm
April 28th, 2020
My interview with the Office of Modern Composition is now online!
April 15th, 2020
The Naming of Monsters" - Winner
After Hours Magazine's
Second Annual Mary Blinn Poetry Prize
December 13th, 2019 - Chicago, IL
Poets at Sophie's Closet: A Community Event
A Night of Poetry and Fashion!
7pm
November 11th, 2019 - Oak Park, IL
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Buzz Cafe 7-9pm (6:30 for open mic sign-up)
September 17th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
"Shrimp Shacks" - Finalist
The 26th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards
@ The Promontory
Congratulations to Winner Sharon Powell
September 17th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
The 26th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards
@ The Promontory (Performing in the semi-final rounds)
Doors open at 6:30 pm & event begins at 7:30 pm
August 18th, 2019 - Oak Park. IL.
The Language of Love:
Songs & Arias & Poetic Interlude
10:30 am @ Church of Beethoven
July 6th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
Poetry At The Hat Shop!
6:00 pm @ Susanhat Salon
7231 N. Sheridan Road
May 23rd, 2019
Endlessly Rocking: Poems in Honor of Walt Whitman's 200th Birthday
Available Now!
October 4th, 2018 - Chicago, IL.
Excited Utterance Reading Series
7:00 pm @ Silvie's
"When Valentine's Day Falls on Ash Wednesday"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2018
April 15th, 2018 - Oak Park. IL.
Gypsy Jazz & Poetic Interlude
10:30 am @ Church of Beethoven
"When You Cannot Ask For Directions"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2017
August 13th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology Release Party
6 pm @ The Hideout
August 10th, 2017
Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology
Available Now!
July 17th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Waiting 4 The Bus Reading Series & Open Mic
7 pm @ Uncharted Books
June 6th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Wit Rabbit Reading Series
7-9 pm @ Quenchers Saloon
February 2017
Eclectica Magazine Best Poetry: V1 Celebrating 20 Years Online
Eclectica Magazine Speculative V1: Celebrating 20 Years Online
Available Now!
November 18th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
7th Annual Faculty Research & Creative Activities Symposium
Fusing Country Songs And Ghazals: A Cultural Exchange Experiment
Northeastern Illinois University - Student Union (Recital Hall) 9:40 am
September 24th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
Red Rover Reading Series Experiment #96: Know Your Rights
8-10 pm @ Outerspace
September 20th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
Open Door Reading Series
The Poetry Foundation 7 pm
August 8th, 2016 - Oak Park, IL.
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Buzz Cafe 7-9pm (6:30 for open mic sign-up)
Knoxville, TN - August 5th, 2016
Holler Salon Readings Series
Firefly Farms 6-9:00 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 1st-7th, 2016
Poetry Residency with Sundress Academy for the Arts
@ Firefly Farms
Normal, IL - July 29th 2016
3rd Annual International David Foster Wallace Conference
Illinois State University - Stevenson Hall (Room C) 2 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 21st, 2015
Holler Salon Readings Series
Firefly Farms 6-9:00 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 16th-22nd, 2015
Poetry Residency with Sundress Academy for the Arts
@ Firefly Farms
Milwaukee, WI - July 25th, 2015
Midwestern Gothic Literary Reading
@ People's Book Cooperative 3-4:30 pm
2015 National Federation of Press Women
Communications Contest Award - Poetry - 2nd Place
"Revenge Fantasy"
Illinois Woman's Press Association
74th Mate E. Palmer Communications Awards
May 16th, 2015 @ Union League Club of Chicago
"Revenge Fantasy" - First Place
"Where Did That Come From?" - Third Place
"My Sister's Things To Do List After Her Fiance Broke Off Their Engagement" - Honorable Mention
Chicago, IL - March 19th, 2015
Wilbur Wright College - Center for Teaching and Learning
The Ghazal: Celebrating “The Beloved”
Room S243 3:30pm
Chicago, IL. - February 13th, 2015
Perfect Friday Night Series
@ The Store 9pm
November 15th, 2014
Interview with Kathleen Rooney is now online!
"Where Did That Come From?"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2014
Milwaukee, WI - May 17th, 2014
Midwestern Gothic Literary Reading
@ People's Books Cooperative 2:00-3:00 pm
Interview with Midwestern Gothic is now online!
Aloud! Live Reading Event @ DePaul University
November 11th, 2013 6:30 pm
DePaul Student Reading @ Bourgeois Pig Café
April 5th, 2013 7:00 pm
FREE Poetry Reading At NEIU
March 4th, 2013 7:15 pm
January 24th, 2023 - Chicago, IL.
Named one of the nominees for the City of Chicago’s inaugural Poet Laureate.
August 2022
Awarded the Norbert Blei Literary Scholarship.
June 2022
Awarded the Kenyon Review Online Workshop for Teachers Scholarship.
February 17, 2022 - Heart Chicago: A Virtual Reading
The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will team up
with contributing authors from Open Heart Chicago:
An Anthology of Chicago Writers to present a special virtual reading.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
November 12th, 2021 - Chicago, IL.
Reading Launching Open Heart Chicago: An Anthology of Chicago Writing
7pm @ Exile in Bookville
October 16th, 2021
Open Heart Chicago: An Anthology of Chicago Writing
Available Now!
June 7th, 2021 - Complex Brooks Day 2021Celebration
A celebration of Gwendolyn Brooks birth with readings of her work by members of the Guild community.
All video contributions can be viewed in full here.
I was honored to read Brooks’s poem "kitchenette building."
February 21st, 2021 - Hours Virtual Contributors Reading
The online reading includes a short "open mic" with After Hours #41 contributors
(including David Mathews) and a featured reading by AH41 featured writer Marci Rae Johnson.
To view the Live Stream, click here.
4pm
August 20th, 2020 - Reading via Zoom & YouTubeLive
After Hours Virtual Contributors Reading
Celebrating After Hours Issue #40 & their 20th Anniversary
7pm
May 11th, 2020 - Reading via Zoom
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Featuring Winners of After Hours Magazine's
Mary Blinn Poetry Prize
7pm
April 28th, 2020
My interview with the Office of Modern Composition is now online!
April 15th, 2020
The Naming of Monsters" - Winner
After Hours Magazine's
Second Annual Mary Blinn Poetry Prize
December 13th, 2019 - Chicago, IL
Poets at Sophie's Closet: A Community Event
A Night of Poetry and Fashion!
7pm
November 11th, 2019 - Oak Park, IL
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Buzz Cafe 7-9pm (6:30 for open mic sign-up)
September 17th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
"Shrimp Shacks" - Finalist
The 26th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards
@ The Promontory
Congratulations to Winner Sharon Powell
September 17th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
The 26th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Awards
@ The Promontory (Performing in the semi-final rounds)
Doors open at 6:30 pm & event begins at 7:30 pm
August 18th, 2019 - Oak Park. IL.
The Language of Love:
Songs & Arias & Poetic Interlude
10:30 am @ Church of Beethoven
July 6th, 2019 - Chicago, IL.
Poetry At The Hat Shop!
6:00 pm @ Susanhat Salon
7231 N. Sheridan Road
May 23rd, 2019
Endlessly Rocking: Poems in Honor of Walt Whitman's 200th Birthday
Available Now!
October 4th, 2018 - Chicago, IL.
Excited Utterance Reading Series
7:00 pm @ Silvie's
"When Valentine's Day Falls on Ash Wednesday"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2018
April 15th, 2018 - Oak Park. IL.
Gypsy Jazz & Poetic Interlude
10:30 am @ Church of Beethoven
"When You Cannot Ask For Directions"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2017
August 13th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology Release Party
6 pm @ The Hideout
August 10th, 2017
Rust Belt Chicago: An Anthology
Available Now!
July 17th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Waiting 4 The Bus Reading Series & Open Mic
7 pm @ Uncharted Books
June 6th, 2017 - Chicago, IL.
Wit Rabbit Reading Series
7-9 pm @ Quenchers Saloon
February 2017
Eclectica Magazine Best Poetry: V1 Celebrating 20 Years Online
Eclectica Magazine Speculative V1: Celebrating 20 Years Online
Available Now!
November 18th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
7th Annual Faculty Research & Creative Activities Symposium
Fusing Country Songs And Ghazals: A Cultural Exchange Experiment
Northeastern Illinois University - Student Union (Recital Hall) 9:40 am
September 24th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
Red Rover Reading Series Experiment #96: Know Your Rights
8-10 pm @ Outerspace
September 20th, 2016 - Chicago, IL.
Open Door Reading Series
The Poetry Foundation 7 pm
August 8th, 2016 - Oak Park, IL.
Traveling Mollys Reading Series & Open Mic
Buzz Cafe 7-9pm (6:30 for open mic sign-up)
Knoxville, TN - August 5th, 2016
Holler Salon Readings Series
Firefly Farms 6-9:00 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 1st-7th, 2016
Poetry Residency with Sundress Academy for the Arts
@ Firefly Farms
Normal, IL - July 29th 2016
3rd Annual International David Foster Wallace Conference
Illinois State University - Stevenson Hall (Room C) 2 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 21st, 2015
Holler Salon Readings Series
Firefly Farms 6-9:00 pm
Knoxville, TN - August 16th-22nd, 2015
Poetry Residency with Sundress Academy for the Arts
@ Firefly Farms
Milwaukee, WI - July 25th, 2015
Midwestern Gothic Literary Reading
@ People's Book Cooperative 3-4:30 pm
2015 National Federation of Press Women
Communications Contest Award - Poetry - 2nd Place
"Revenge Fantasy"
Illinois Woman's Press Association
74th Mate E. Palmer Communications Awards
May 16th, 2015 @ Union League Club of Chicago
"Revenge Fantasy" - First Place
"Where Did That Come From?" - Third Place
"My Sister's Things To Do List After Her Fiance Broke Off Their Engagement" - Honorable Mention
Chicago, IL - March 19th, 2015
Wilbur Wright College - Center for Teaching and Learning
The Ghazal: Celebrating “The Beloved”
Room S243 3:30pm
Chicago, IL. - February 13th, 2015
Perfect Friday Night Series
@ The Store 9pm
November 15th, 2014
Interview with Kathleen Rooney is now online!
"Where Did That Come From?"
Nominated for Best of The Net 2014
Milwaukee, WI - May 17th, 2014
Midwestern Gothic Literary Reading
@ People's Books Cooperative 2:00-3:00 pm
Interview with Midwestern Gothic is now online!
Aloud! Live Reading Event @ DePaul University
November 11th, 2013 6:30 pm
DePaul Student Reading @ Bourgeois Pig Café
April 5th, 2013 7:00 pm
FREE Poetry Reading At NEIU
March 4th, 2013 7:15 pm
