Last night
There was a strange moon
it kept shedding skin,
like an insect
Lambent, white paper skin
That took an hour to finally
Land in the grass
I collected a few husks and
Wrote poems on them.
Soon the moon was nude and
furiously glowing.
Author: Partial Press
March’s Writer
We are happy to announce that our next featured writer is Chicago’s own Ruby Figueroa.
Ruby is a “23 year old living in Pilsen obsessed with love and human’s ability to overcome heartbreak.”
She tells us:
“I studied studio art, psychology, and bass clarinet in college, and I’m currently teaching myself how to play ukulele — all these different interests have turned my practice into a hybrid of visual art, music, and writing. I’m a graduate student at Columbia College Chicago in the Book and Paper MFA program where I concentrate on papermaking and printmaking. If I’m not at school, you can find me walking around the city with headphones plugged in carrying a backpack full of books, or at a coffee shop cackling to myself. When I hang out with my friends, I usually fill up my phone with notes about all these great (or not so great) ideas for the future TV-sitcom that’s going to be made about us. If all else fails, I’m people-watching and writing stories in my head about what they could be thinking, because I’m constantly trying to find connections with other people.”
Soon we will unveil the location where you will be able to read Ruby’s piece, Cancer Baby Girl. In the meantime, congratulations, Ruby!
April Deadline Approaching
Calling all writers!
Send us poetry or prose under 500 words by March 5th to be considered for our April installation. Writers may submit up to three pieces for consideration, so don’t be shy!
See our submission guidelines for more details.
Another Night of “Lambent”
Given the full moon, it seemed like an appropriate time to photograph Lambent again. That’ll make sense to those of you who have read the poem, which will stay up at Women and Children First through the end of the month.
If you’re in Chicago, then go out and read Lambent, by Chicago writer Laura Knickelbine, under the full moon for yourself. Otherwise you’ll have to wait another week for us to archive it online.
“Lambent” at Women and Children First
We once again braved the cold to bring you some photos of our current installation, Laura Knickelbine’s poem, Lambent. As you can see, we are lucky to share the window with a fantastic selection of important books as well as an impressive list of upcoming events.
Even with this weather, you will be glad you took the time to go and read Lambent! February is a short month, so don’t wait… but don’t worry it is a Leap Year.
February Installation at Women and Children First
Today we installed a new poem, Lambent, by Laura Knickelbine, at Women and Children First. Lambent is a short poem – we didn’t even get cold as we programmed the display through the window from outside – but it’s beautiful and sure to stick with you! If you’re familiar with this amazing feminist bookstore, then you’ll know why Laura requested to have her work shown there, and you probably would have guessed that they would generously throw their support behind a community-based publishing project like ours. We are so grateful and excited to share their window space this month.
You can find our installation in Andersonville, at 5233 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640.
Of course, Laura’s piece will be scrolling on 24/7, but if you want to check out some other literature while you’re there, then make sure to show up during business hours:
M-T 11-7
W-F 11-9
Sat. 10-7
Sun. 11-6
Here’s a bit more about Women and Children First (from their website):
Women & Children First began in a modest storefront in 1979. Over the years we’ve moved twice and are now in a northside Chicago neighborhood known for its diversity, queer-friendliness, women-owned businesses and community spirit. Our staffers include teachers, graduate students, professional writers and storytellers, political activists, board members, and poets. Each of us is a reader, a feminist, and a bookseller. Our purpose in beginning the store 36 years ago was to promote the work of women writers and to create a place in which all women would find books reflecting their lives and interests. We strive to do this in an atmosphere in which all are respected, valued, and well-served. That is our purpose still, online as well as in the store.
March Deadline Approaching
Writers, you still have until Friday, the 5th to send us your work to be considered for our March installation. Send us poetry or prose under 500 words and you could be the next author to grace our LED display!
Check out our Submissions page for details.
7. January. “A Hug from a Large Man for a Long Time, part VI” by Amanda Beekhuizen
The soil is wet and dark, fecund and nutritious, richly filled with rocks and worms. The soil cannot be contained. It stains the white cover, stains; the smallest particles of dirt move through the fabric’s weave, from inside to outside.
I lay beneath it, roll and wrap myself, feel its weight press around me.
I am a burrito, a swaddled baby, a child’s arm trapped within an inflated plastic water wing. The tip of a straw between lips. All the things we found buried in the backyard when we dug it up to build a French drain: a homemade dice, a rooster pin, a glass bottle of cherry coke from the early nineties. A rock at the bottom of a pool, a hug from a large man for a long time. A hug from a large man for a long time.
February’s Writer
Our next writer is Laura Knickelbine, whose beautiful poem, Lambent, will be featured in our February installation. We will announce the location soon, but in the meantime you can keep reading to get to know our eighth (!) featured writer.
Laura Knickelbine is a 23-year-old Chicago Newbie. She moved to Logan Square about six months ago, after finishing a creative writing degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Laura’s interests are prose and poetry, but she also writes short stories, interviews, and non-fiction. Laura is an obsessive reader; she keeps a list of every book she’s read, and she is always in the middle of something good. She is in love with Chicago’s literary nightlife, and participates in slams like The Moth, and the Uptown Poetry Slam.
In her early/mid twenties and living somewhere new, Laura’s life is completely disorganized. But it also stays exciting, and she embraces it by trying a little bit of everything Chicago has to offer. Laura loves exploring coffee shops, bookstores, and theaters. She is a barista, occasional volunteer, and a Meetup.com enthusiast. On typical days, you can find her pulling espresso in Andersonville, riding the gold elevators in the Harold Washington Library, or riding the Metra somewhere between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Congratulations, Laura!
Another “Hug From a Large Man for a Long Time, part VI”
As promised, here are a few more photos of our current installation at the Chicago Hostel. The work is Amanda Beekhuizen’s prose poem, “A Hug From a Large Man for a Long Time, part VI” and will be up and running for a few more days. If you’re in Chicago, make sure to check it out before we have to move to our next installation.
We particularly like the floating effect that the hostel’s curtains lend our LED display, as if the poetry simply emanates from the window. From a distance though, it is just one of many LED signs fighting for one’s attention – it takes a closer look to distinguish it from the landscape of commerce and transportation.
Literature Emitting Diodes 