Poet Donna Pecore of Jefferson Park/Albany Park reflected on an article published in her neighborhood paper, The Nadig Press, after she was surprised to learn a shooting had taken place in her neighborhood.  

While she has never visited Capital Club – which bills itself as “the premier Polish Nightclub in Chicago” – Donna always thought of it as a Polish nightclub and says she was surprised to learn of its diverse clientele. As she learned more about the shooting, and the city’s response, her viewpoints about the issues involved multiplied and led to the piece recorded here.

Click here to read this piece.

Verse Journalism is a form of poetry inspired by the news. It was born here in Chicago when Gwendolyn Brooks coined the term. Another gifted local poet, Quraysh Ali Lansana, taught the form to participants in a Neighborhood Writing Alliance special workshop series. Lansana had NWA writers turn their opinions and reactions to news events into poems, which WBEZ will present throughout the month of April in celebration of National Poetry Month. This series was recorded in collaboration with the Neighborhood Writing Alliance, a station partner.

Click here to listen to other Verse Journalism recordings made as part of this project.

You can also listen to Quraysh Ali Lansana speak with WBEZ’s Jason Marck about the origins of verse journalism and his own experiences with the form.