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News and Upcoming Events
Join the excitement -- come to an event and be surprised. All of our readings and public events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information call: 773-684-2742. Please note that participation in our weekly workshops is required for registration of special workshops.
UPCOMING PROJECTS & EVENTS:
Friday, May 2, Chicago's 2nd Annual Looptopia
Chicago Temple, 77 W. Washington
6:30 - 7:30pm
As part of this 14 hour spectacular event the Neighborhood Writing Alliance will present "Where Were You?" A reading by JOT writers as they explore their place in history.
For more information about Looptopia visit their website at www.looptopia.com
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May 14 - 6:30-8pm, 3500 W. 63rd Place
Greater Lawn Community Youth Network (GLCYN)
(Basement of the Chicago Lawn United Methodist Church)
Town Hall Forum: Family Voices From the Community
Familes are invited to join us as we share neighborhood concerns and work towards building a better community.
Childcare provided. Food and refreshments will be served
Sponsored by the Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC), the Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Latino Organization of the Southwest, National Block Club University, Chicago Lawn Working group, Depaul University's Egan Urban Center
For more info contact:
Jada Hoskins @ SWYC
jada_gabrielle@swyc.org
773.960.4181
Sherry Brown at GLCYN of the SWYC
sbrown@swyc.org
773.434.2001
Jeanette Galicia @ Latinos Organization of the Southwest (LOS) &
Neighborhood Writing Alliance
773.925.0397
Sonia Diaz-Rangel @ SWYC
773.905.4450
Jamika Jackson @ National Block Club University
773.678.3638
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Pulitzer Prize-winning Critic Margo Jefferson
to speak at
NWA's 2008 Annual Benefit
Monday, May 19, 2008
Roosevelt University
430 S. Michigan Avenue
5:30 - 7:30pm
For complete details visit our benefit page.
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On Feb. 23rd at the Smart Museum of Art, Neighborhood Writing Alliance and Smart Museum partnered to host a free writing workshop for adults that connected NWA’s motto of “Every Person Is a Philosopher” with the Outsider artist Henry Darger. The Workshop: Discovering Darger Through the Written Word consisted of participants viewing works featured in “Drawn from the Home of Henry Darger” to receive an overview of the artist’s life and gain an understanding of the extraordinary epic he created, and writing their own works inspired by Darger’s life, source materials, stories, and images.
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On Saturday, March 1st at Near North Branch Library, Code Pink Women for Peace and the Neighborhood Writing Alliance conducted "A Call to Conscience": Workshop on Non-violent responses to gun violence in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. The three-part workshop included a training in effective non-violence techniques, a writing workshop, and an open mic.
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Have you ever wanted to know more about NWA’s fabulous Program Director? Here’s your chance to learn a little bit more about Rupal Soni.
"Empowerment" is a Two-Syllable Word"
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We are thrilled to announce the addition of Mairead Case to NWA's full time staff as Assistant Director, Editor, Journal of Ordinary Thought, and Workshop Leader, Mabel Manning Branch Library. Mairead Case joined NWA in December 2007. Before that, she worked at Northwestern University Press, also TriQuarterly magazine, the Chicago Public Library, and Seattle's Richard Hugo House. Mairead founded the writing program at the South Bend Juvenile Justice Center, edited several independent publications and zines, and currently publishes in places including AREA, Ausgang, The Chicago Reader, Lumpen, Punk Planet, and The Stranger. She has degrees in French and Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame.
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On December 9, 2007, the Neighborhood Writing Alliance, publishers of the Journal of Ordinary Thought (JOT), partnered with the Chicago Danztheatre Ensenble (CDE) to take stories and poems written by Chicagoans and turn them into performance. In particular, the performance explored the concept of “home”: why people have made Chicago their home by choice or circumstance, and when does Chicago cease to feel like home? Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble core members, Morgan Christianson, Ellyzabeth Adler, Lindsey Marks, and Beth Czechanski adapted, choreographed, and directed the stories and poems of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance.
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As part of the 18th Annual Chicago Humanities Festival: Climate of Concern, the Neighborhood Writing Alliance presented “Getting Around,” November 10th at Roosevelt University Ganz Hall. Artistic Director Baba Eli Hoenai wove together African drumming with poetry and narrative by JOT writers to create a journey that illustrated various perspectives on getting around town; navigating Chicago’s traffic, barriers to mobility and access; and safety on public transportation. Getting Around was a stimulating and entertaining performance of how JOT writers connect individual transportation experiences to broader issues such as the bigger questions raised about the CTA, local traffic congestion, the effects on our environment, and construction on our highway systems.
Baba Eli Hoenai of Music for Life’s Sake is a founding member of MUNTU Dance Theater and is the former musical director of ETA.
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On September 19th, at the Chicago Tourism Center, NWA presented "I Used To Be A Barbie Girl." This magical celebration of how we can, and do, look at the world through play was JOT writers' contribution to Chicago's Art of Play Summer 2007, and you can listen to this exciting performance at our partner site Chicago Amplified. Just click here and enjoy!
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"JOT is ordinary magic at its best. Only in simple sentences could the most effective combinations of language be brought out." So states NewPages reviewer Sheheryar B. Sheikh. To read the entire review, visit NewPages.com's Literary Magazine Reviews.
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Listen to the July 28th panel discussion "How We Learn: Building an Educated City" with AREA Chicago, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, and the Stockyard Institute, featuring representatives of local educational initiatives committed to cultural learning for adults in Chicago. Taped recording is now available through our partners at Chicago Amplified.
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As a part of Chicago's first Looptopia event, NWA's performance by JOT writers with accompaniment by the Ways and Means Jazz Trio represented unique, interesting and entertaining perspectives of Chicago. Listen to this "Chicago Through Words and Music" at our partner site Chicago Amplified.
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The Neighborhood Writing Alliance recently hosted a training for members of the University of Chicago's Civic Knowledge Project. Read about the Civic Knowledge Project and their new leadership in the University of Chicago Chronicle.
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We plan events throughout the year, so please check back often. Or sign up for our new email newsletter, @JOT, and be notified of upcoming events (and more!) by email. Sign up here.
