We offer free poetry writing workshops, Write! Chicago and Write! History events virtually and at area museums.

October Write! Chicago

Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m.

Field Museum
1400, Lakeshore Dr.
We will meet inside the south entrance, to view the new permanent exhibit, Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, in celebration of Indigenous People’s Day.

Come join us on Saturday, Oct. 8, as Write! Chicago will meet at the Field Museum, south entrance, to view the new permanent exhibit, Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, in celebration of Indigenous People’s Day.

In this exhibit, we will hear from Native American and Indigenous people as they tell their own stories through words, music, dance and art; we will help to celebrate the “thriving, modern cultures of today’s Native communities,” and hopefully write a poem inspired by the exhibit.

Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories is a new permanent exhibition at the Field. It replaces and re-examines the previous Native North America Hall that existed in this space for many years, which was created without the input of Native people themselves.

We will meet at 11 a.m. inside the south entrance of the Field Museum, 1400 S. Lakeshore Drive, Chicago, 60605. Tickets range from $27-$34 for Illinois residents, and $18-$26 for Chicago residents.

The Field is accessible by car or public transportation. The closest CTA train stop to the Field Museum is Roosevelt. Servicing the Red, Orange, and Green lines, the Roosevelt stop also offers a connection to the #146 bus (at State and Roosevelt), which takes riders directly to the Museum Campus.

The Field Museum acknowledges it is built on Native land; hence one aspect of this exhibit is dedicated to Chicago’s indigenous community.

Please RSVP to Caroline Johnson, organizer of the event, at poetsandpatrons@gmail.com.

About Write! Chicago and
Write! History

“You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep spring from coming.” 
Pablo Neruda

About five years ago we decided we needed a writing workshop in addition to the bimonthly critiquing sessions.  Hence, Write! Chicago was born.  We normally hold 4 or 5 workshops a year and have met in such venues as the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, Garfield Park Conservatory, the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Field Museum, the Chicago History Museum, the Hemingway House in Oak Park, and many more.

Generally, interested poets meet at a museum, disperse to view the art or exhibits, then gather once again to write together and share their poetry (only if they wish!). If you would like more information, please e-mail us at poetsandpatrons@gmail.com. Or stay tuned to our website for the latest poetry outing.

Past
workshops

We are always seeking new venues for our Write! Chicago and Write! History trips. Please e-mail us if you have suggestions.

Write! History

The DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. To celebrate Black History Month we visited both museum websites and wrote poems based on the exhibits.

Led by P & P president, Caroline Johnson on Feb. 12, 2022, via Zoom.

Write! Chicago

Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan Avenue. The exhibit for our August visit was “Beyond the Frame” and included pictures from the college’s permanent collection.

Cantigny Park and Gardens, 1s151 Winfield Road, in Wheaton, Illinois
Cantigny, with its combination of nature and history, was a great source for first drafts. Around 2:30 p.m. we gathered at Cantigny’s Cafe for writing, refreshments, and socializing.

Field Museum on Lake Michigan’s shore, after meeting up participants dispersed to view exhibits. After a few hours of exploring exhibits, we met up to write.

Chicago Maritime Museum in Bridgeport

National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen to view the Day of the Dead exhibit, among others.

Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst
The museum has a unique collection of gemstones, jade carvings, and cameos, and a temporary exhibit about Italian shell cameos and Chakra Stones.

Hemingway House, 339 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park
About 15 of us met at the Hemingway House at 339 N. Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. A guide gave us a private tour of the home, then we gathered for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Some of us drafted a poem or prose piece and shared it with the group.

American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., Second Floor, Chicago 
About 10 of us met at the newly constructed American Writers Museum on Saturday, June 10, 2017, the same weekend as Printers Row Lit Fest. Entrance fee to the museum is $12 Adults, $8 Seniors and Students, and free to children 12 and younger. The museum was educational and sports permanent and temporary exhibits, including one about poet M.S. Merwin. It's definitely worth a trip if you haven't done so already!