Member Spotlight:
Maureen
Tolman Flannery
April 2021
Maureen Tolman Flannery has published over 500 poems in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Her own volumes of poetry are Following the Cabin Home, Navigating by Expectant Stars, Tunnel Into Morning, Destiny Whispers to the Beloved, Ancestors in the Landscape, Beloved Quietus, Secret of the Rising Up, Remembered into Life, and Snow and Roses, a chapbook about the White Rose resistance in Nazi Germany.
When did you begin writing poetry?
As a child I composed rhymes in my head and played with phrases. I was introspective and found comfort in aptly worded comparisons. But I actually tried writing what I thought to be poems in high school. Looking back, I realize they were trite and mostly doggerel. But even as an adolescent I looked to serious poetry to address my wonderment. I had an excellent teacher, Mr. Fassler, who became a close friend and mentor. Read more ⟶
Litany for a Rancher
Bless this man who lies abed
with so much riding on the way he dies,
Bless his riding the range, his bronc riding,
his riding it out, letting it ride,
riding herd on, riding rough-shod over,
and his sometimes riding the fence.
Bless his fence building, fence fixing,
his offense, defense, nonsense and his sensitivity.
Read more ⟶
Poets & Patrons is dedicated to
supporting poetry development
in the Chicagoland area.
Wilda Morris © 2017
Introduction
Wilda Morris © 2017
Poets & Patrons was founded in 1954. It is dedicated to supporting poetry development in the Chicagoland area. It does this through sponsoring and hosting congenial, professional workshops at The Harold Washington Library; running an annual Chicagoland Poetry Contest with modest cash awards for multiple categories; facilitating free writing workshops at area museums and outdoor venues (Write! Chicago); and an annual Awards Ceremony. Poets & Patrons is an excellent vehicle for defining your work, meeting with other fine poets for unique critiques, and exploring with others the power of well-crafted verse.
We meet in workshops four times a year and have started a series of meetings called Write! Chicago, where poets gather in a specific Chicago location and write afterwards. The workshops are designed to increase skill in writing both traditional and non-traditional poetry. We also sponsor 2 contests each year. Please see our Contest page for more information.
Unless otherwise noted, the workshops will be in room 6-N on the third floor of the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Poets & Patrons evolved from a common desire to promote a meeting ground for poets and poet enthusiasts in the Chicago area. Learn more ⟶