Writers Across the Generations

Writers Across the Generations features an established artist whose work has either influenced or inspired an emerging artist. The two writers share the stage, often for the first time, to read and discuss their work.

Tonight’s featured readers, Nick Carbo and Marlon Esguerra, explore the complex intersection of Filipino and American cultures by discussing the spiritual, political, and sometimes comical nature of life through stories and poetry. Tom Montgomery-Fate moderates. Nick Carbo is the author of two books of poetry published by Tia Chucha Press, El Groupo McDonald’s (1995) and Secret Asian Man (2000). He is the editor and co-editor of ground-breaking anthologies of Filipino American writing, Returning a Borrowed Tounge (Coffee House Press, 1996)and Babaylan (Aunt Lute Books, 2000).

Among his awards are fellowships in poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts (1997), and the New york Foundation for the Arts (1999), and residencies at Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, Fundacation Valparaiso (Spain), and Le Chateau de Lavingy (Switzerland).

Marlon Unas Esguerra is a second generation Filipino American who was born and raised in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. Individually, and as part of Pan-Asain spoken word troupe, I Was Born with Two Tounges, Marlon has performed, given workshops, and lectured in over 100 colleges and universities across the country. Marlon is a three-time Chicago poetry slam champion and coached the Brave New Voices 2002 National Youth Poetry Slam Championships. Vocal against poetry used as a commodity, Marlon rejected an offer to perform on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. He currently serves as a fourth-year teacher as well as a program coordinator for Young Chicago Authors.

This Program is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council.