January 2023

Charlotte Digregorio, a retired professor and author of Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All, Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing, and five other award-winning books, writes sixteen poetic forms, has won seventy-three poetry awards, and was nominated for four Pushcart Prizes. She was honored by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner in 2018 for her decades of achievements in the literary arts. Read more ⟶

When did you begin writing poetry?

I first began writing poetry my Junior year in high school when a visiting poet came to my English class. He singled out two poems that students wrote–one was mine–and he spoke about why they were effective. The college I attended didn’t offer creative writing classes. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I recalled my high school experience and seriously began submitting sonnets and free verse for publication. I discovered haiku in 1995, after I read about Modern Haiku journal in Poet’s Market. I sent away for a sample copy and got hooked on haiku.

What triggered your interest in creating poems?

I first saw poetry as a healing outlet. It has given me a deepened awareness of things to be grateful for. In particular, the brief poems of haiku and senryu (the latter written in the haiku form, but focusing on human nature, rather than nature), allow me to jot down my fleeting moments and thoughts, whether sad or happy. Haiku/senryu keep me focused on simple things that I encounter, such as nature’s beauty or the kindnesses of others that give me reason to pause and appreciate life.

Who are your favorite poets?

One of my favorite haikuists/senryuists is Robert Spiess. He died in 2002, and is considered the “Dean of English-Language Haiku.” He was a longtime editor of Modern Haiku and authored many collections. Spiess inspires haikuists to write effective imagistic poems through examples of his own stunning, yet understated imagery, just as haiku is meant to have. Read more ⟶

Poets & Patrons was founded in 1954. It is dedicated to supporting poetry development in the Chicagoland area. It does this through sponsoring and hosting congenial, professional workshops at The Harold Washington Library; running an annual Chicagoland Poetry Contest with modest cash awards for multiple categories; facilitating free writing workshops at area museums and outdoor venues (Write! Chicago); and an annual Awards Ceremony. Poets & Patrons is an excellent vehicle for defining your work, meeting with other fine poets for unique critiques, and exploring with others the power of well-crafted verse.

We meet in workshops four times a year and have started a series of meetings called Write! Chicago, where poets gather in a specific Chicago location and write afterwards. The workshops are designed to increase skill in writing both traditional and non-traditional poetry.  We also sponsor 2 contests each year.  Please see our Contest page for more information.

Unless otherwise noted, the workshops will be in room 6-N on the third floor of the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois. 

Poets & Patrons evolved from a common desire to promote a meeting ground for poets and poet enthusiasts in the Chicago area.  Learn more ⟶