Poetry Foundation Spring Event Season Honors Poetry’s Capacity for Love
Presenting free poetry events, celebrations of forthcoming titles, and a new visual series.
Photograph by Sarah Joyce, courtesy of the Poetry Foundation.
CHICAGO, February 12, 2026—The Poetry Foundation announces its roster of free public events for the spring 2026 season under the theme “No One Can Afford To Lose Love.” Inspired by a line from the poem “First Light” by CAConrad, the event season highlights new work by Chicago poets and poets published in Poetry magazine, poetry explorations through music and visuals, and more.
Poetry’s Capacity for Love
The Poetry Foundation’s spring season debuts on March 12 with a reading featuring the newly appointed Chicago Poet Laureate, Mayda del Valle, and Illinois Poet Laureate, Mark Turcotte. As a proud partner of both poet laureate programs, the Poetry Foundation is thrilled to host Del Valle and Turcotte for their first reading together as poets laureate and to celebrate their roles in advancing poetry in the Foundation’s home city and state.
On March 19, the Poetry Foundation honors Affrilachian poets who were featured in the recent Poetry magazine folio, “Frank X Walker: Kinfolk.” Walker reads alongside fellow members of the Affrilachian Poets Collective, including visiting poet Nikky Finney and Chicago poets Kelly Norman Ellis and Parneshia Jones.
April is National Poetry Month, which aims to highlight the importance of poets and poetry in culture. While the Poetry Foundation celebrates poetry year-round, National Poetry Month offers two exciting events and additional opportunities to connect with poetry. On April 2, the Poetry Foundation unveils the first installment of Bold Type, a new visual series that transforms its central gallery wall into a vibrant design canvas for poetry. The event features readings by 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize recipient CAConrad, whose poem “First Light” is on display in Bold Type, along with Rickey Laurentiis, Jake Skeets, and Chicago poet S Yarberry.
On April 23, 2021 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize awardee Patricia Smith returns to the Poetry Foundation to celebrate the release of her new collection, The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems, which won the 2025 National Book Award for Poetry. Poets Ashley M. Jones, Donika Kelly, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil join Smith to read from their new collections.
Opportunities to engage with poetry and poets continue in May with an event on May 7 spotlighting new books by Chicago authors Kameryn Carter, Teresa Dzieglewicz, Lisa Low, WJ Lofton, and A. Martinez. On May 14, Poetry Foundation staff and friends celebrate their new books with appearances by Poetry magazine editor-in-chief Adrian Matejka, Caroline Cabrera, Rob Macaisa Colgate, Aaron Fagan, and Noa Micaela Fields in collaboration with Jared Brown, I.S. Jones, Laura Paul, and Lynne Thompson.
The season comes to a close on June 18. Co-presented with the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, American Writers Museum, and Guild Literary Complex, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame will present Chicago poet and 2016 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize awardee Ed Roberson with the Fuller Award for his lifetime contributions to literature. avery r. young will emcee the evening, which will also include special tributes by additional writers and a conversation between Ed Roberson and CM Burroughs.
"This spring season goes all in on poetry’s capacity for love in its many forms as a compass for connection, healing, and transformation in a state of emergency," said public programs manager and season curator, Noa Micaela Fields. "As featured poet-seer CAConrad cautions: 'no one can / afford to / lose love. I have / explored / the alternative / it is a wasteland.'"
To stay up to date on the Poetry Foundation’s offerings, including additional events, please subscribe to the Poetry Foundation's newsletters and visit PoetryFoundation.org/Events.
Event Accessibility
Poetry Foundation events are free and open to the public. Readings and events are live-streamed and include captioning and ASL interpretation unless otherwise noted. Masks are available at check-in. For more information about accessibility at the Poetry Foundation, please visit our Accessibility Guide.
About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation transforms lives through the power of words. Our work aims to amplify poetry and celebrate poets by fostering spaces for all to create, experience, and share poetry. Follow the Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Liz O’Connell-Thompson, Media Manager, eoconnellthompson@poetryfoundation.org