Join the Poetry Foundation on March 12, 2026 at 6 p.m. for a celebration of Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle and Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte! Both poets will read their work. The event is free but requires register. For more information and to register, visit the Poetry Foundation.
The Center for Black Diaspora is hosting an event tomorrow, February 25, at 4 p.m. featuring a discussion on the theme of black imagination with Dr. Corey Miles. The event is part of an ongoing series for the center to discuss and celebrate the themes of the film Sinners. You can join in person or via Zoom. See the flyer below for more details.
Last month, ahead of the Blue Demon Challenge, alumna Anna Sortino (MAWP ’19) visited DePaul for a Q&A with graduates in the MFA and MAWP program. The visit was recorded for the Blue Demon Challenge, where Anna discussed her time at DePaul, what led her to writing in the YA genre, any advice she has for current students in the program, and so much more. Check out the full video below, and if you missed the interview we did with Anna last month as part of her visit, you can read it here.
Join DePaul’s Humanities Center for a conversation exploring censorship as a persistent issue affecting culture, politics, academic discourse, and public expression on Thursday, February 26 at 6 p.m. Register here for free!
Thank you SO much to everyone who came out last night to support our first grad reading series at Uncommon Ground! It was so special to get together, share our work and support each other. We hope to host a monthly series, so stay tuned for more information on upcoming readings, and how to get involved.
Galena LitFest returns this January with a month-long celebration of literary arts. The fest concludes with an engaging evening of poetry and conversation with Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte on January 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. In collaboration with the Galena Public Library and the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, the event will be held at the Mąą Pįį Preserve and Center’s historic Hess House at 1221 N Ferry Landing Rd in Galena, IL. This free, hybrid event allows participants to choose between attending in person or virtually via Zoom. Register here!
There are tons of free events happening through The Center For Black Diaspora this quarter as part of “Black Imagination: At the Intersections of Blackness, Music, Magic and Creativity.” Check them all out below:
Join us on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026 for an interactive gaming experience developed by Professor Allen Turner of the School of Design. The audience is invited to discuss how the past has purpose today by demonstrating and celebrating the power of family, ancestral connections, and storytelling. This event continues in the yearly theme of “Black Imagination: At the Intersections of Blackness, Music, Magic and Creativity” at the Center for Black Diaspora. The event takes place 4 – 7 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the Lincoln Park Student Center, Room 314 AB.
Award-winning author Janet Burroway will be in conversation with Miles Harvey, DePaul professor and English Chair, about Janet’s new novel, Simone in Pieces at Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 4 p.m. Janet is also the author of Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, (a bestseller through 10 editions) and has written eight previous novels, as well as a memoir, plays, short fiction, children’s books, and more. Recipient of the Florida Humanities Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Writing, she is Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Emerita at Florida State University… Read Article →
Professor and Fiction Editor for Wildhouse Publishing Rebecca Johns-Trissler will be in conversation with Kaethe Schwehn, the author of The Gospel of Salome on Sunday, January 25 at the International Museum of Surgical Science from 3-4 p.m. The discussion will center on researching for historical fiction, the erased histories of female physicians in ancient times, and the novel itself, which was reviewed in the Chicago Review of Books. The event is free but requires registration, and guests who attend will receive free access to the International Museum of Surgical Science!
From the Poetry Foundation: Join DCASE, Chicago Public Library and the Poetry Foundation as we celebrate Chicago’s new Poet Laureate, Mayda A. del Valle! The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Chicago Public Library and Poetry Foundation are pleased to invite you to an evening celebrating Chicago’s new Poet Laureate, Mayda A. del Valle. The event is free but requires registration here. Chicago Cultural Center, G.A.R. Hall 5:30 p.m. – Doors open 6 – 7:30 p.m. – Program 7:30 – 8 p.m. – Informal Reception & Mingling The night will feature remarks from City leaders,… Read Article →
Join Rebecca Johns-Trissler’s Novels II class on Thursday, January 15th at 6 p.m. in room 301 ALH for an author visit by Anna Sortino (MAWP ’19). Anna is the author of three YA novels published by Penguin Teen: Give Me a Sign (2023), On the Bright Side (2024), and Stops Along the Way (forthcoming in May 2026), which have been honored by starred reviews from such places as Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and “Best Book of the Year” from more places. She is also working on an adult title next. Please note that this event… Read Article →