Chris Green, a visiting fellow at DePaul University’s Humanities Center, invited seventy-five acclaimed poets in Chicago to contribute to an anthology honoring the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The anthology is titled, A Writers’ Congress: Chicago Poets on the Inauguration of Barack Obama. The collection and reading will include a variety of well-known writers, including Kevin Coval, Stuart Dybek, Richard Fammerée, Reginald Gibbons, Richard Jones, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Francesco Levato, Haki Madhubuti, Elise Paschen, Marc Smith, Judy Valente, Luis Alberto Urrea and Rachel Webster. The book celebrates an historic election and honors a president committed to social change.

Presented in-part by UniVerse of Poetry, whose readings and showcases celebrate individuals who demonstrate a consistent dedication and integrity of vision, humanity, innovation and artistry in their writing, increasing the dialogue and significance of poetry within a greater society, nationally and internationally.

Recorded Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at DePaul University Student Center.