Power Through

Turn to the power of poetry to harness resilience and endurance with readings from five Midwest-based authors with new books “off the shelf.” Visiting Midwest poets Vi Khi Nao and Oliver Baez Bendorf are joined by Chicago poets Imani Elizabeth Jackson, Nathanael Jones, and Ruben Quesada. 

Power lines from the poets:

“I lived off a wave, my own.”
—Imani Elizabeth Jackson, From “Flag”

“When anger soaks like wet grasses on the house’s floorboard, the ants come out to showcase their military might.”
—Vi Khi Nao, The Binchōtan Charcoal & Its Ash

“POETRY? 
I think someday I will join—”
—Oliver Baez Bendorf, Becoming an Idea

This event is part of the Poetry Foundation’s spring 2025 season, Power Lines.

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.

Host or Publisher Poetry Foundation