Join us for a live in-person reading with Madeleine LeCesne, Michell Nicole Miller, Nat Pyper, and Ang Zheng. The Open Door series presents work from new and emerging poets and highlights writing instruction and poetic partnerships. Each event features readings by two Midwest writers and two of their current or recent students or writing partners

Madeleine Le Cesne (Madeleine/Madeleine/Madeleine’s) is from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Michell Nicole Miller (they/them/theirs) is an undisciplined poet, dramaturg and educator living in Chicago, IL. Born on the Jersey Shore, they have translated their love for poetry and dance into creative projects that explore rhythm, improvisation, ritual and the power of the erotic. A doctoral candidate in Performance Studies at Northwestern University, Miller’s academic research engages contemporary black feminist performance, ritual aesthetics, and the black maternal. Although largely unpublished, their writings are inspired by the legacies of Ma Rainey, Ntozake Shange, the surrealists, Jayne Cortez and June Jordan. Miller is a cultural worker, birth justice advocate, and big sister (rebellious daughter and auntie extraordinaire). They value black queer community, truth-telling, and freedom.

Nat Pyper (they/them/theirs) is an alphabet artist: they make fonts, write science fiction, create wearables for videos and performances, and research radical queer publishing histories. Pyper’s work has been shown at Chicago Artists Coalition, Chuquimarca Projects, and Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, Printed Matter in New York City, and Vox Populi in Philadelphia. Their writing has been published by Are.na, Draw Down Books, GenderFail, Inga Books, Library Stack, Martian Press, and the Walker Art Center. They received their MFA from the Yale School of Art, and are currently a 2021-22 HATCH Artist Resident at the Chicago Artists Coalition.

Ang Zheng (he/him/his) writes with a camera and a pen. His work has been shown at SomoS Art House (Berlin), where he was a resident artist in 2019, Instinct (Berlin), 062 (Chicago), and the Sullivan Galleries (Chicago). He received his MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He spent his formative years in Xiamen, China, and is currently based in Chicago IL.

Poetry Foundation’s events are completely free of charge and open to the public. This reading will include live captioning and ASL interpretation. If you require any other accessibility measures, please contact us by emailing events@poetryfoundation.org.

All guests over the age of two must wear a mask inside the Poetry Foundation building. Guests over the age of five must show proof of vaccination and booster up to the level to which they are eligible for their age group. Guests over the age of 18 must show ID alongside their proof of vaccination. If you cannot meet these requirements, you will not be granted entry to the event. All in-person events will be made available online for free at poetryfoundation.org/video. Please note that some performers may choose to perform without a mask.

These guidelines are up to date as of March 7, 2022.

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Tags: Ang Zheng, Chicago, Madeleine LeCesne, Michell Miller, Nat Pyper, Near North Side, Open Door, Poetry Foundation