A Part of a National Movement

Sanctuary Poets is a part of the 2021 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellows program. It provided $1.1 million to poet laureates over the country to do civic projects in their communities.

Chasity Gunn, Elgin Poet Laureate, is a recipient of the fellowship. She will lead Sanctuary Poets.

Check out AAP's press release about the fellowship here.

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Self-Portrait Workshop: February 2024

Seeing Yourself Perhaps, the greatest person you will ever know is you. Yet, getting to know one’s true self is often difficult. We often see ourselves accurately through the stained windows of trauma, low self-esteem, and grief. Art has a remedy for this complexity. Self-portrait is one of the oldest art forms and is commonly used by visual artists to create a portrait of themselves. Other artists, such as poets, have adapted the art form. Participating in introspection and seeing yourself accurately can lead to improved relationships, better self-confidence, and a healed vision of one’s self. Self-portraits can be an avenue for you to achieve these significant milestones. Join, poet, Chasity Gunn, for a series of Self-Portrait workshops in February. What you will experience: a welcoming, inspiring environment to read self-portrait poems by poets of various identities and poetic traditions engaging space to talk with other thinkers about their impressions of the poems gent

Sanctuary Writing Retreat 2024

Still away from the busyness of life by spending a weekend nurturing your creative self. Sanctuary is a weekend writing retreat that offers a welcoming and safe environment for individuals to learn more about poetry, be inspired by nature, and experience a safe, welcoming community with other like-minded individuals. At the retreat, creatives will engage in writing instruction, exercises with visual art, and opportunities to be in nature. They also will learn how mental health and mindfulness are connected to writing. This is not a retreat where every second is packed. Instead, a blend of scheduled activities and downtime will be available. This way you won’t return home exhausted. The retreat will be at Riverwoods in St. Charles, Illinois. It is an 85-acre wooded campus on Fox River. Delicious home-cooked meals will be provided. Lodging is in cabins with bunk beds in shared rooms. Due to a generous grant from Elevating Equity, the retreat is offered at a subsidized rate. To

Welcome to Sanctuary Poets

WELCOME TO SANCTUARY POETS Sanctuary Poets is a civic project that creates a safe place, a sanctuary, for individuals of various skill, comfort and knowledge levels to form a writing community. It is inspired by June Jordan’s “Poetry for the People." For six-weeks, individuals will participate in a weekly poetry seminar. Sanctuary Poets seeks to model the inclusive nature of a sanctuary - meaning people of various backgrounds will gather in a central place. The same group of poets will be in each seminar, so they can form a sense of community. All will be welcomed; only curiosity is needed. The program will be facilitated by Chasity Gunn, Elgin's Poet Laureate. It is a part of the Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate fellowships held across the nation. How the seminars will work Each seminar of Sanctuary Poets will run for six weeks and be three hours each week. In the first hour, the poets will discuss the assigned reading. In the second hour, the poets wi

Sanctuary Poets

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