What is true does not always feel true, and just because something is fiction doesn’t mean it’s not true. In this workshop, we will write poems with lies and contradictions in them in order to reveal the truth in evocative ways.

Join us for “The Questionable Narrator: Writing Poems That Deceive in Order to Get to the Truth,” a public writing workshop with José Olivarez, as part of 826CHI’s FRESH INK community series!

José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants and the author of the book of poems, “Citizen Illegal.” Along with Felicia Chavez and Willie Perdomo, he is co-editing the forthcoming anthology, “The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT.” He is the co-host of the poetry podcast, The Poetry Gods and a recipient of fellowships from CantoMundo, Poets House, the Bronx Council on the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, & the Conversation Literary Festival. He lives in Chicago.

José is a master teaching artist. In 2017-2018, he was the Lead Teaching Artist for the Teen Lab Program at the The Art Institute of Chicago. He teaches and writes curriculum for Young Chicago Authors. In the past, he has led writing workshops and diversity trainings for institutions such as: Lincoln Center (New York, NY), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY), Studio Museum of Harlem (New York, NY), The Adirondack Center for Writing (Saranac Lake, NY), Inside Out Literary Arts (Detroit, Michigan) and many more community organizations and universities.

WHEN // Monday, January 14th at 6:30pm
WHERE // The Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply/826CHI on 1276 N. Milwaukee Ave.
WHO // Teens + adults
HOW // There’s limited availability for non-826CHI students, so make sure to reserve your $10 ticket ASAP! Tickets are always free for Chicago students.

All ticket proceeds benefit 826CHI’s tuition-free writing programs, which serve over 3,500 students annually.

FRESH INK is a year-long community workshop series that brings in seasoned teaching artists to lead intergenerational, interdisciplinary workshops at 826CHI. FRESH INK workshops seek to provide a third space to learn and write among writers and artists of all ages and experience levels.

// About 826CHI //

826CHI is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

826CHI shares its space with the Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co., a store with a not-so-secret mission. Our unique products encourage creative writing, imaginative play, and trigger new adventures for agents of all ages. Every purchase supports 826CHI’s free programming, so visit us at 1276 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park or online to pick up spy glasses, fake moustaches, our latest student publications, and much more!

www.826CHI.org
www.secretagentsupply.com

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Tags: 826CHI, Chicago, FRESH INK: The Questionable Narrator, José Olivarez, The Questionable Narrator: Writing Poems That Deceive in Order to Get to the Truth, West Town, Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.