A showcase of poets including authors from A Small Garlic Press, After Hours Press, Cracked Slab Books, March Abrazo Press, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Poetry Magazine, Puddin’head Press, RHINO, Swan Isle Press, Third World Press, Virtual Artists Collective, River Oak Review, and Shakespeare’s Monkey Revue.

A few of the individual authors include Stella Radulescu, Shontay Luna, Ruth Goring, Larry O. Dean, Christine Cassello, Jeffrey Jaephree, Anne Godden-Segard, Udayan Das, PJ Destin, Timothy David Rey, Bill Allegrezza, Garin Cycholl, Steve Halle, Ray Bianchi, as well as poets from Young Chicago Authors.

The Chicago Public Library’s Poetry Fest is an all day event featuring readings, workshops, and discussions at Harold Washington Library, including a small press exhibit in the lobby. Cornelius Eady is the keynote speaker.

The full schedule of events can be found here.

The Chicago Poetry Cram brings together dozens of voices from the featured presses as well as from local literary organizations. Each poet gets a few minutes at the microphone to read some poetry. The goal is to “cram” as many poets into a two-hour event as possible. In 2009 all “cram” records were broken when 53 poets read at the event, and this year the Cram attempts to break the record once again.

Recorded Saturday, April 24, 2010 at Harold Washington Library Center.