Twenty years ago, legendary poet Gwendolyn Brooks teamed up with the Guild Literary Complex to present the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Reading and Awards. Each year, the Guild takes in nearly 100 submissions from Illinois writers, and whittles it down to 20 finalists who perform their work in front of a live audience. The finals take place Wednesday night at the Chopin Theatre in Chicago. We talk about the event, its famous creator and hear some poetry from last year’s winner. Photo Courtesy of Facebook