CUP at CPL. We will be in the Robeson Pavilion A&B, which is downstairs on the ground floor.

April is National Poetry Month in the U.S. Please join the CU Poetry Group for a celebration of the art as group members read selected works. 

Poetry is a vibrant art when read aloud. The CU Poetry Group meets weekly to share poems and exchange honest feedback to make the poems better with an eye toward publication and public performance. The group says, "Our public readings are where our poems come to life with an audience in a casual and informal setting. We believe in building community one poem at a time."

Our first-ever Sunday Boneyard Arts featured reading. 

We are will be reading at PizzaM, which is much more accessible to those who have trouble reaching the 3rd floor of a bookstore. We are honored to be part of an art show so come treat your eyes as well as your ears.

Poetry is a vibrant art when read aloud. The CU Poetry Group meets weekly to share poems and exchange honest feedback to make the poems better with an eye toward publication and public performance. The group says, "Our public readings are where our poems come to life with an audience in a casual and informal setting. We believe in building community one poem at a time."

Our annual Boneyard Arts featured reading. 

We are proud to be in our third year of partnering with Jane Addams Book Shop for the Boneyard Arts Festival.

Poetry is a vibrant art when read aloud. The CU Poetry Group meets weekly to share poems and exchange honest feedback to make the poems better with an eye toward publication and public performance. The group says, "Our public readings are where our poems come to life with an audience in a casual and informal setting. We believe in building community one poem at a time."

Poets at the Post

A monthly open mic for all poets, storytellers, and spoken word artists.

Where: The Iron Post in Urbana

When: The 2nd Monday of each month

What Time: Sign-ups at 6:30, reading starts at 7

Bring up to four minutes of your best, most engaging words and read in a supportive, fun, relaxed atmosphere.

Each week will also feature a local or regional reader doing a longer set around the mid-point.

Our 3/13 feature is Will Reger

Co-sponsored by The Iron Post and the Champaign Urbana Poetry Group

Keep the Arts alive in our community!

The CU Poetry Group will be reading new and selected works on Tuesday, March 7th, at the Lewis Auditorium in the Urbana Free Library at 6:30 pm. 

A monthly open mic for all poets, storytellers, and spoken word artists.

 Where: The Iron Post in Urbana

When: The 2nd Monday of each month

What Time: Sign-ups at 6:30, reading starts at 7

Bring up to four minutes of your best, most engaging words and read in a supportive, fun, relaxed atmosphere.

 Each week will also feature a local or regional reader doing a longer set around the mid-point.

Our 2/13 feature is Xuxa Rodriguez

Co-sponsored by The Iron Post and the Champaign Urbana Poetry Group.

Keep the Arts alive in our community!

Here is a community event not related to CU Poetry that you may want to attend. Bring a friend. 

Mary will be reading from her first book of poetry, Away from Shore, as well as sharing some poems from other books in progress. She might end up telling a story or two as well. After the reading there will be a low-key reception. Feel free to bring a snack or drinks to share, but there's no pressure to do so. 

Poets from the CU Poetry Group will perform their poetry in a casual, informal setting. The CU Poetry Group meets weekly to share poems and exchange honest feedback to make the poems better with an eye toward publication and public performance.

There will be cookies.

October already? Ugh. Anyway, we return to the Champaign Public Library, Room 215 upstairs. 

Bring 10 to 12 or 14 copies of a work in progress for constructive feedback on your poem. 

We are going to use a sign up sheet on-site. There will be 8 spots for a 2 hour meetup and if we get through 8 then anyone else who wants feedback can go.

We return to the Champaign Public Library, Room 215 upstairs. Please note the new start time, we will see if 6:30 can work. Bring 10 to 12 copies of a work in progress.

Write where you are! Bring a poem about where you live; either physically or metaphysically! Bring 8-12 copies to share.

We will meet in the dining area immediately to the right in the lobby. I am lucky in that all of my hotel memories have been fun ones, vacations or weekend getaways. But I know others have had to use them as short- or long-term shelters due to disasters, natural, personal, or otherwise. The Prompt is "Sleep", and all things related to that.

As always, if you choose to share a poem, please bring 10-12 copies for feedback. Also, though the address reads 302 W. Anthony, you actually have to turn north on Pinnacle Dr. to get to the parking lot entrance. 

Welcome to June. Maybe we will actually have warm weather by then. I'm disappointed in the weather so, if you are looking for a theme, write about overcoming a disappointment or failing to do so. Bring 10-12 copies of any poem or poem in progress. 

No theme, bring whatever you want to share. Something old, Something new, Something edited, Writ by you! Bring 8-12 copies to share.

Urbana Free Library - bring 10 - 12 copies of a poem in progress. I like this room but don't like the mandatory early dismissal. If you need a theme or prompt, try something about stopping. Like stopping to soon, being forced to stop, stop signs (why are they octagons), stop and go, etc.

We meet in the conference room at the bottom of the stairs on the right. They do enforce a closing time of 8:45 so do your best to be on time. 

Steve's going away party is this night instead of a workshop. Bring something to read and a snack/drink to share if you want.

Bring 10-12 copies of a poem you are working on. We will pass out the poems and use a randomizing system so that someone other than the writer will read it aloud. This will give us an opportunity to hear how someone else reads our work and may give us ideas for changes or improvements.

Goodbye April. Lots of fodder with the fifth month - May Day, May flowers, post Russian Revolution, so bring 10-12 copies of any poem or poem in progress. 

Urbana Free Library - bring 8 - 10 copies of a poem in progress. It's still National Poetry Month so bring anything.

We will engage in prompts to produce rough drafts of new poems. Unlike our weekly critical workshops, you need only bring your preferred writing medium, be it pen/paper or laptop, for the exercises and prompts. 

Please note - in addition to enhancing our group experience, these monthly workshops are intended to be a bit of a fundraiser to cover costs of the Meetup site and library room rental so I will be asking for an optional $5.00 donation from each attendee. In light of everyone's generosity this is truly voluntary. 

This will take place at the Champaign Public Library, upstairs in room 215.

No workshop this week. Friend of the group Janice Harrington is reading at the CPL. 

From the CPL Press Release: Join award-winning poet Janice Harrington for a lively celebration of National Poetry Month. Pavilion Rooms A&B

Jane Addams Book Shop agreed to host us again this year for a reading during Boneyard Arts. Featured readers from 2:30 - 4, open mic starting at 1. Featured readers being anyone who has ever attended a meetup.

This week, we are trying a new venue - the Caribou Coffee shop in the County Market grocery store at Duncan and Kirby in Champaign. When you enter the store, drift left through the floral toward the coffee counter then look for the seating area tucked in between the bakery (on the left) and the start of the deli counter (on the right). They have free wi-fi for those inclined. Bring 10-12 copies of a poem/poem in progress or something you want to fine tune before Boneyard.

We are collaborating with a CU organization called Community Choices, who works with local folks to build and promote an inclusive community. 

They are running a photobooth of sorts and need readers to serenade random people with a poem while their photo is being taken and perhaps photobombed. 

This will be in downtown Champaign in front of Big Grove tavern and should be fun even though the poetry is not the main focus.

Lets celebrate the women of poetry. Choose a poem by a woman poet you admire and write poem to complement it in any style you choose, You can use elements of the poem in an erasure or golden shovel, write in the same style, write a response to something in the poem, or whatever strikes your fancy. And of course as always bring whatever you are working on. Please bring 8-10 copies to share.