Tag: National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate the bicentennial, we’ll be covering a multitude of Illinois literature, from poetry to prose, and plays. Stay tuned as we examine the great writers of Illinois!

Chicago literature has a distinctive, uniquely independent identity which authors draw from the city’s innate sense of power. Chicago was founded as a city of business and much of its early literature was closely tied to journalism, and the histories of Chicago and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, Chicago’s early records and publications were wiped out almost entirely by the Great Fire of 1871. Following the fire, writers began to reshape the identity of Chicago literature.… Read More

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate the bicentennial, we’ll be covering a multitude of Illinois literature, from poetry to prose, and plays. Stay tuned as we examine the great writers of Illinois!

Often overlooked, Latino writers in Illinois, particularly in Chicago, have been able to create works that bring an understanding of what it means to be Latino in the United States. Writers and poets such as Sandra Cisneros, Ana Castillo, Carlos Cortez, David Hernandez, and others have worked to bring Latino literature and experiences to the forefront. Their writing explores Latino plight, aspirations, and history.

The Latino literary movement coincided with the Chicano Renaissance in the East and Southwest, where Mexican-American writers and artists addressed their communities and reaffirmed their ethnic identities.… Read More