Cyntia Gallaher’s Swimmer’s Prayer Release Party

Cynthia Gallaher, an native Chicagoan, is the author of a new book of Chicago poems, Swimmer?s Prayer (Missing Spoke Press, Seattle, 1999), as well as Private, One Purpose (Mulberry Press, New Orleans, 1994) and Night Ribbons (Polar Bear Press, Chicago, 1990) Gallaher leads creative writing, journal writing and poetry writing workshops in libraries, community centers and schools throughout Illinois an is a member of the ?Green Team? for the Chicago Park District.

Brenda Cardenas lives in Chicago where she is implementing and teaching te creative writing component of a collaborative arts education program at the Yollicalli Youth Museum, an imitiative of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum. She performed a spoken word and musical tribute to Sor Juana de la Cruz with classical guitarist Jennifer Trowbridge at the Chicago Cultural Center. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Learning by Heart: Contemporary American Poetry about School (University of Iowa Press); Under the Pomegranate Tree: Latino Erotica (Washington Square Press); Prairie Schooner, Tamaqua and others. Her awards include a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in Native american Literature at Chicago?s Newberry Library.

Gloria Monaghan came to Chicago by way of New York and Michigan. She currently teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago an also has taught at St. Augustine?s College and Columbia College. Her work has appeared in Other Voices, No Roses Review, Thirteen, and International Virus. She was a featured reader at the Lincoln Park Library as part of Partners in Rhyme, celebrating the Chicago Public Library?s 125th anniversary. Tonight, she will be reading from a series of new vignettes.