YOUNG CHICAGO AUTHORS

Check The Method offers rigorous instruction in poetry and hip-hop spoken word to the most dedicated young writers in the city. Check The Method is Chicago’s premier writing workshop for 14-25 year olds. Come learn how to find inspiration in your daily life, write poems, and craft performances. Check The Method alumni have gone on to publish books and pursue professional writing careers. This workshop is open to all levels and is 100% free.

Queeriosity is a free monthly poetry salon for LBGTQ and questioning youth aged 12-25 to explore the world through a queer lens. Queeriosity events are hosted by YCA Teaching Artists H. Melt & Dominique James. Each month has a different theme and features a writing workshop, discussion and guest artist or speaker. There are also opportunities for live performance and publishing work in the Queeriosity Zine. This program is free and no prior experience with poetry or performance is necessary. All events are held on second Thursdays 6pm-8pm at Young Chicago Authors unless otherwise noted.

Young Chicago Authors is proud to announce our Rooted & Radical Youth Poetry Festival, previously named Louder Than A Bomb. This newly imagined festival rethinks scoring and judging to empower participants and get back to the heart of creating a community for young people to share their stories in a non-competitive environment. We invite all youth poets to participate in showcases that will occur on the dates & times listed below. Individual poets will advance by student voting and will be assigned to all-city teams where they will be celebrated during the festival’s final showcase in the spring. All participants will be eligible for scholarships and special prizes.

Approximately 100 young writers & educators from all corners of the city and across the country come together for one week of writing and other art forms. We focus on building community and developing a body of work via workshops led by world-class poets and artists.

Over this six-week apprenticeship, poets work on their craft and are initiated into the life of a working artist. They take field trips through Chicago’s rich cultural landscape, meet with professional local artists, and participate in YCA’s Write To The City summer camp, all under the guidance of mentors from our artistic team. Once their apprenticeship is complete, Roots Crew becomes YCA’s battalion of talent, speaking and performing throughout the country on behalf of the organization and the work.