The Po Box Poetry Series was started in the Spring of 2022. Curated by S. Yarberry, the series brings together local poets with poets from across Chicago and beyond to form a stronger community through poetry. The readings are free & open to the public.
Before the reading, we host a generative writing workshop and potluck coordinated by Alex J. Cope. The workshop is led by different visiting writers. All are welcome to join this low-stakes time to write, eat, and meet other artists.
Some of the poets the series has hosted:
2025
Lemmy Ya'Akova, Nisha Atalie, Sylvia Jones, Leah Dawson, Diego Báez, Gaux Wilhite, Meg Kim, Cean Gamalinda, and Ryan Varadi.
2024
Maya Odim, Ola Faleti, Musu Bangura, Megan Pinto, Daniel Borzutzky, Caitlin Cowan, Cass Donish, Temperance Aghamohammadi, Kai Ihns, Lisa Low, Alyssa Moore, Chris Rife, Chelsea Tadeyeske, Antonio Vargas-Nieto, Lewis Freeman, Edie Roberts, JK Anowe, Ashley Colley, Jordan Stempleman, Toby Altman, Alyssa Moore, Amanda Goldblatt, Laaura Goldstein, Jose-Luis Moctezuma, Cean Gamalinda, Sara Wainscott, Dawn Angelicca Barcelona, Soham Patel, Maggie Su, Timothy Yu, I.S. Jones, Binx Perino, Jules Wood, Cecily Chen, Clara Nizard, Léon Pradeau, and Aiya Sakr.
2023
Julian Talamantez Brolaski, S. Yarberry, Kate Monaghan, Alyssa Moore, Stephen Patrick Bell, Meg Cass, Analeah Rosen, Joss Barton, C. Russell Price, Smith Yarberry, Aunty, Adam Gottlieb, Sarah Peecher, Helene Achanzar, Francesca Kritikos, Phoebe Pan, Ari Banias, Mar Garcia, Mitch Monroy, Katana Smith, Serena Solin, Timothy Ashley Leo, CM Burroughs, Camille Roy, Syd Staiti, Caylin Capra-Thomas, Tarik Dobbs, Alicia Mountain, Rachel Galvin, Jose-Luis Moctezuma, June Wilson, Kai Chase, Laaura Goldstein, Philip Kenner, Toby Altman, Daniel Borzutzky, S. Brook Corfman, Lydia Abedeen, and Jitesh Jaggi.
2022
Matthew Klane, Fred Schmalz, Brian Foley, Faisal Mohyuddin, Kira Tucker, Krystyna Dąbrowska, Ghayath Almadhoun, Alex Jane Cope, Beatrix Lee, Joy Messinger, Emily Barton-Altman, Shayne Calvin, Katy Hargrett-Hsu, Noa/h Fields, Fabrizzio Subia, Billy Youngblood, Atena Danner, Stefania Gomez, Isaac Ginsberg Miller, Jack Chelgren, Madeleine Le Cesne, Alex Wells Shapiro, Viola Lee, and George Abraham.
