Illustration by Meghan Sim

April is National Poetry Month, and this year for our April edition at F Newsmagazine, the editorial team thought it would be a wonderful idea to publish and celebrate poetry by SAIC students. 

In the pages of the Literature section you will find a list of open mic nights where you can go to engage in the Chicago poetry community and perform or workshop poetry of your own, followed by the curated poetry of SAIC students.

This edition contains a variety of different types of poetry including ars poeticas, poems about poetry itself, and poems in both verse and prose discussing a variety of topics and a variety of life’s questions. Many of these poems concentrate on poetry’s ability to heal the world around us. 

With the state of the world being what it is, it can be difficult to feel light when global conflicts are so heavy. When I began the curation of this section I ruminated for a long time on poetry’s place amidst violence and difficult times. Maybe you, like me, are touched or moved in some way by poems —by popular authors or even just on your friends’ Instagram stories— that bring you peace or inspire action in these times.

I have long been a fan of poetry. I hope you enjoy the poems featured in this section and that they bring you what you need.

Sincerely,

Katie MacLauchlan

Literature editor