Women Out Loud

Started in 2000 be Menat Graffiti’s Krystal Ashe out of a women’s open mic at MadBarco-hosted with Mars Caulton-Savage, Women OutLoud is a monthly all women’s open mic. Hosts have included Tara Betts, Andia Esguerra, Andi Strickland and Lucy Anderton. This years hosts Nikki Patin, Kelly Tsai and Selly Thaim collaberate with Tara to continue the supportive and sometimes bawdy forum for women writers, from first-time open-micers to seasoned veterans.

Reading Tonight: Krystal Ashe, Nikki Patin, Kelly Tsai, and Selly Thiam Mars Caulton-Savage, Anida Esguerra and Tara Betts.

Nikki Patin is a vocalist and spoken word artist who represented Chicago in the National Poetry Slam. Kelly Tsai is a founding member of Sirenzand a member of Mango Tribe.

Fiction writer Sally Thiam, winner of a 2000 Hurston/Wright Writers Award, also works as a queer youth organizer and educator.

Tara Betts is the Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award winner and Cave Canem fellow.

Anida Esguerra is a member of I Was Born with Two Tounges, and co-founder of Mango Tribe. Mars Caulton-Savage is a poet and educator, and Krystal Ashe is a co-host of Mental Graffiti and a spoken word artist.