Your Aunt Louise

Our intimate, revealing peek at Chicago's poets and poetry-with-out-metaphor the real poetry dirt. Your Aunt Louise gratefully accepts anonymous tips at Strong Coffee, P. O. Box 1959, Evanston, IL 60204. (please mail to arrive by the 20th!)

My, my, my how Chicago poets get around. You can't go anywhere in the vast poetry world/infinite poetry universe without gentle bombardment by familiar names. Take, for example, the internationally distributed poetry Newsletter Inago (of Phoenix). April edition, their selected Poet of the Month? Our own Jeffrey Spahr-Summers! He made a definite, strong appearance with 11 impressive poems and an interesting bio.

Tuesday, July 16, welcomed a poetry event with multicultural worldwide flavor-the finals in the Poem for Prague Competition. Having been selected from among more than 70 poets invited to submit the five finalists read their pieces at the Palmer House in the midst of Chicago-Sister Cities Fair. Susanna Ruth Berger, Eddie Two Rivers, Cindy Salach, Lisa Buscani and Carlos Cortez read well, showing not a hint of nervousness competing for a prestigious prize in front of this different-than-the-usual-poetry-crowd audience. Marc Smith hosted and performed a few of his works while we waited what I'm sure were close results. And the winner, of the trip to Prague with the opportunity to read her poetry, was a tearful Cindy Salach, who graciously thanked the Chicago Office of Fine Arts and The Sister Cities Folks and offered to take as many friends from the poetry community as she could fit in her suitcase. Everybody start packing.

Is everyone aware that Guild Books's literary poetry series. The Guild Complex has moved to the Hothouse at 1569 N. Milwaukee? We've heard from the former host that Edge of the Looking Glass is struggling. Is there a way we can help save this fine performance space?

Oh, my gosh, shades of 1968-people sitting in the sun on a hillside, experiencing different levels of consciousness, enjoying three days of rock bands and poetry. Oh, my gosh, the Peace Festival felt so mellow, so groovy, so cool, such an oasis. Among featured readers were C.J. Laity, Tony "The Fly" Aquilera, Bob Caskey, Jeffrey Spahr-Summers, Lee Groben and Kristen Amondsen. There's something wondrous about hearing poetry in the fresh air beneath clear skies, instead of in our usual smoky, sweaty bars.

On the subject of open-air readings, how about the Printers Row Book Fair? Block after block of book lovers' paradise, the fair also hosted many fine readers. Though some excellent poets read indoors (like Michael Warr, Luis Rodriquez, and Lisa Mueller), I most loved the outdoor poetry tent. With lots of time for open-mikers, Saturday, June 15, it featured poets from the Stray Bullets/Saloon Poetry Project and Sunday, June 16, special guests were the Dial-A-Poem poets. Spies tell me Sunday was glorious, and I can tell you Saturday was a joy, too. After a sudden rainstorm brought about 200 extra listeners into the tent, one of the featured readers pointed to the sky and proclaimed, "Some poets will do anything to get an audience." Later, after an ear-shattering thunderclap, poet Mark Ingebretsen quipped "But does this mean He likes me?" Yes, Mark, and everyone else did, too.

Late Bullitin! Sheree Anne Slaughter will read from her poetry and host the Unity Through Poetry open mike at Augie's/CK's Sunday, August 11, at 8 p.m. (gay men are welcome). "A special thanks to the poets who read July 14," says Sheree-"you know who you are"! Through her poetry, Sheree hopes to bring people together in love and respect for one another, to curb the violence of gangs and drugs...to bring joy to a face of sorrow, give hope for a better tomorrow." Let's toast that! Co-publisher of Planet Roc, she has performed and published widely.

Well, it's sunny out and I need desperately to work on my tan, so I'm outta here. Peace, love to ya all, see you next month.

-Your Aunt Louise