The Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner that celebrates the power of the literary arts and the bridge it creates between those of all walks of life.
Third Thursdays, a collaboration between the Weekly and Build Coffee and Books, is where you can see our poetry corner manifest into reality. Every third Thursday of the month, Build Coffee and Books opens its doors to those who crave community and respect the power of a pen. From spoken-word poets, fiction writers, musicians, and storytellers, the mic is blessed from many directions.
Before the open mic commences, the first hour exists as a writing workshop crafted to tend to anyone’s literary skill set. Between enriching conversations, and engaging with the transformative work of others, attendees always leave with something jotted on their paper.
Our monthly feature then graces the stage at the end of the writing session! For this issue of The Exchange, here’s a sneak peak at what goes on after 6pm at Build Coffee and Books, including documentation of the evening, the workshop prompt, and original works from our October feature.
Abolish Sonnets n.7
By Imani Marie Joseph
Let’s fight for our right to negotiate
The price. After removing the laugh track
We must acclimate to machine like screams.
Choreograph a stabbing in the back,
Destroy relationships by newsletter,
Or harass an imploding superstar.
A kid making a sweater overseas
Will surpass whoever on Chat GB.
Schools can grow poison full trees. Food and bombs.
This is how far successfulness can go—
A pack of mules drinking from a black hole.
Is this winning or being a cash cow?
When inflation has never gone down
How do we people protect people now!
Workshop Materials
Poems:
- Ego Trippin by Nikki Giovanni
- Homage to my Hips by Lucille Clifton
- Hair by Elizabeth Acevedo
Initial writing prompts:
- What are some of your talents that you don’t give yourself enough credit for?
- What are aspects of your culture that you’re proud of?
- What parts of yourself have people tried to shame that you’re now reclaiming?
Writing Prompts after reading the texts:
- Similar to the style of Nikki Giovanni, write your ego-boosting poem. Start with the phrase “I am…” to begin each line.
- Like Elizabeth Acevedo’s poem, write about something you’re reclaiming when it comes to your identity.
- Write a poem appreciating your culture. Let us into the world you’re proud of being as descriptive as possible. Feel free to start with the phrase “I come from…”
Submissions can be new or something previously written. Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to
Join us on November 19 for our next Third Thursday. Our November feature is the lovely McKenzie Chinn.
Alycia Kamil is the engagement editor for the Weekly. Imani Marie Joseph is a cultural worker from the Southside of Chicago. She is a writer, curator, and educator. As a researcher she focuses on American history & the African diaspora, prioritizing political philosophy and oral testimonies.