

Mayda del Valle + Mark Turcotte
Join us as we launch our spring event season with a celebration of Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle and Illinois Poet Laureate Mark Turcotte that will include readings by both poets laureate.
The Chicago Poet Laureate program is a partnership between the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Chicago Public Library, and the Poetry Foundation. Appointed the second Chicago Poet Laureate in January, Mayda del Valle is serving a two-year term as an ambassador for Chicago’s literary and creative communities.
The Illinois Poet Laureate is made possible by the Office of the Illinois Governor in partnership with the Illinois Arts Council, Illinois Humanities, and the Poetry Foundation. As the sixth Illinois Poet Laureate, Mark Turcotte, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe, is serving a four-year term to advance the awareness of and appreciation for literary arts and the humanities within Illinois.
Additional Information
- All Poetry Foundation events are completely free of charge and open to the public.
- Advanced registration is encouraged.
- The performance space is ADA-compliant and wheelchair-accessible.
- The program will feature CART captioning and ASL interpretation.
- For more information about accessibility at the Poetry Foundation, please visit our Accessibility Guide.


