Writing

I love a good epigraph, and these Brontë quotes that opens Reader, I is one of the more memorable epigraphs that I’ve seen. A clever and witty pairing, I immediately knew this collection was going …

When I learned about Pass Down Magazine and its founders, University of Illinois students John Prince and Will Moore, I got a bit nostalgic. I, too, had dabbled with playing music in college, but my …

This is huge, people. We’ve already covered John Milas’ 2023 debut novel The Militia House here and here. But now, ladies and gents, it’s up for a Shirley Jackson Award. Named for one of the …

Davenport-Pleasure invites you to an evening filled with poetry, movement, and plenty of heart. She is a multi-talented poet, spoken word performer, avid dancer, and a jewelry and recycled clothing designer. Davenport-Pleasure was selected as …

Decatur poet Anastasia Lindsey will be on hand at Champaign’s Barnes and Noble this Sunday to read from her new collection of poems, Ocean. This collection explores grief, transformation, and the revitalizing power of love. …

While many of us at Smile Politely could be considered scholars and fans of Champaign-Urbana, there are more traditional scholars at the University of Illinois who are doing academic work around their interests and fandoms. …

More than a few years ago, I took a class as a graduate student at the University of Illinois called “Anthropology of Home.” It was one of those rare classes that sticks with you due …

Begun in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, April’s National Poetry Month is one of the largest literary celebrations in the country. Every town has its own take on NaPoMo (of course there’s a nickname …

A member of Champaign-Urbana’s Glass Room Poets, Emily F. Kerlin won Minerva Rising Press’s 2023 “Dare to Be” chapbook contest with her collection of poems, Twenty-One Farewells. The twenty-one poems in this new collection were …