Introducing The Open Door: The Chicago Writing Program Reading Series

The Poetry Foundation Inaugurates a New Event Series

The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, inaugurates its new monthly writing program reading series, The Open Door, on Tues., Nov. 19 at 7 pm. The new series celebrates the teacher/student dynamic and is named after Harriet Monroe’s edict in the first issue of Poetry (October 1912): “The Open Door will be the policy of this magazine—may the great poet we are looking for never find it shut, or half-shut, against his ample genius!”

The Open Door series will present exciting work from Chicago’s new and emerging poets and highlight the area’s outstanding writing programs. Each hour-long reading will feature two Chicagoland college and graduate writing program instructors and two of their current or recent students.

“I came to the Poetry Foundation after directing a graduate writing program at the New School in New York City for 20 years,” said Robert Polito, president of the Poetry Foundation. “The notion of a monthly evening at the Foundation that brings together writing students and faculty from across Chicagoland originates in my longstanding admiration for the dynamic and innovative writing programs here. Chicago is an incredible writing city, and the Poetry Foundation is eager to showcase this exciting new poetry.”

DePaul University is proud to have our very own Professor Mark Turcotte and student M. Quinn Stifler performing as part of this new series. They will be performing Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 pm.