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FREE | Open Door: Madeleine LeCesne, Michell Miller, Nat Pyper & Ang Zheng
April 14, 2022 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm EDT

About this event
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 Although largely unpublished, their writings are inspired by the legacies of Ma Rainey, Ntozake Shange, the surrealists, Jayne Cortez and June Jordan.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.
The Poetry Foundation’s events are completely free of charge and open to the public. This event will include live captioning and ASL interpretation. If you need any other accessibility measures, please contact us by emailing [email protected].
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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Please note:
The Valley of Writers team scours the web looking for the most inspiring, elevating, and accessible events that we can share as a service to our readers.
The big idea is that in a virtual arena, more people can participate. Geographical boundaries matter less.
The events we list are virtual and can be attended by writers from wherever they are in the world.
Unless otherwise stated, we are not affiliated with and do not benefit financially from the events we post. Listing is not an endorsement of the content, opinions, or products promoted by the event organizers we feature here.
Please verify all dates, times and other event details as these are subject to change and are beyond our control.
What qualifies an event as ‘lit’? Any event that we think would teach writers of fiction, memoir, and poetry useful skills, inspire them to produce great work, remind them of the power of this work we do and build stronger, mutually beneficial ties between writers and other creatives.