Guild Literary Complex

🔥Check out keyboard player David Blair II at our Musicality of Poetry special event TONIGHT! Thursday, May 14th at 7PM Epiphany Center for the Arts 📍201 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 🔗Register at the link in our bio. DAVID BLAIR II is a singer, songwriter, and musician, creating thought-provoking, “celestial soul.” Inspired by Frank Ocean, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, his music blends soulful storytelling, alternative R&B, and gospel influence into a sound that is both intimate and uplifting. He has shared stages with artists including Jamila Woods, Mannaseh, and Michael Damani. David’s artistry is deeply rooted in faith, honesty, and emotional connection.

🔥Check out guitarist Marcus Darling at our Musicality of Poetry special event TOMORROW! Thursday, May 14th at 7PM Epiphany Center for the Arts 📍201 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 🔗RSVP at the link in our bio. MARCUS DARLING (b. 1989) is a genre-defying, multi-hyphenated soulfully relentless artist who fuses revolutionary rock with a DIY lofi aesthetic. Their sound—a self-described “black-folk music”—blends electronic soul, R&B, psychedelic rock, jazz, and folk into something both intimate and expansive; R&Beyond. Known for their collaborations with Manesseh and ABOLISHVICTORY!, a band with a politically charged style, Marcus Darling captivates audiences with what they call “mystical and empathetic presence.” Their music balances nostalgic grooves with modern experimentation, creating a quirky, cerebral sound that resonates deeply.

🔥Check out percussionist Hasani Cannon at our Musicality of Poetry special event TOMORROW! Thursday, May 14th at 7PM Epiphany Center for the Arts 📍201 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 🔗RSVP at the link in our bio. HASANI CANNON was born and raised in Oak Park IL, and has been developing his artist skills since the tender age of 5. In 2022, he received his BFA in visual arts at University of Illinois in Springfield and is currently based in Oak Park IL. During his highschool career, Hasani was a finalist in Congressman Danny Davis Art Competition, he was a featured Artist for the OPRFHS Art Gallery and he worked each summer since sophomore year with the Oak Park Arts Council Off The Wall project, even contributing to the Black Lives Matter mural in the summer of 2020. He had his first solo show in 2021 at Forest Park National Bank and took part in the Biennial Terrain show of 2021 along with several shows in the UIS Access gallery and in Chicago. He is generally interested in the African diaspora, especially in the visual iconography and its evolution over time. His preferred medium is mixed media which includes the use of colored pencil, permanent marker, recyclable materials, and fabric. Hasani is also a musician and a dancer being a drummer for Chicago based dance company Najwa Dance Corp along with drumming in Chicago band Family Junket. He is also a member of the Studiofreelove art collective since 2023. During his undergraduate college career, he was heavily involved and a student leader of the Art Student League, Afrobeat Dance Crew, and African Student Association. You can follow his instagram @realhasanicannon to follow his artistic endeavors.

🔥Check out DJ Dhe-Di Beats at our Musicality of Poetry special event THIS THURSDAY! Thursday, May 14th at 7PM Epiphany Center for the Arts 📍201 S. Ashland Ave. Chicago, IL 🔗RSVP at the link in our bio. DHE-DI BEATS is a Chicago-based DJ known for blending soulful house, deep grooves, and high-energy mixes that keep dance floors moving. With a style that’s equal parts sexy, soulful, and unapologetically bold, Dhe-Di Beats brings a unique vibe to every set — from downtown lunchtime mixes to late-night events. Beyond DJing, she’s also a creative force in fashion, beauty, and visual storytelling, building a brand that celebrates confidence, rhythm, and individuality. #performance #chicagolit

✨Check out the @nikstarwon interview for @wbezchicago ’s Reset with @sosassee ! 💜New memoir charts healing journey in face of family dysfunction: talk with author Nikki Patin and Sasha Ann-Simons last April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 🎧 Listen to the full conversation at the link in our bio. NEXT THURSDAY: join us for an evening of musical and lyrical magic, courtesy of Nikki Patin and friends! Thursday, May 14 at 7pm 📍Epiphany Center for the Arts: The Sanctuary @epiphanyarts201 201 S. Ashland Ave. Excerpts of Patin’s biomythography, Working On Me, will be performed against a live soundtrack along with new pieces making their debut before a live audience. Presented and produced by Guild Literary Complex and Nikki Patin. Signed copies of Working On Me will be available for sale. 🎟️ Get your tickets at the link in our bio.

Join us for an evening of musical and lyrical magic, courtesy of Nikki Patin and friends! Thursday, May 14 at 7pm 📍Epiphany Center for the Arts: The Sanctuary 201 S. Ashland Ave. Excerpts of Patin’s biomythography, Working On Me, will be performed against a live soundtrack along with new pieces making their debut before a live audience. Presented and produced by Guild Literary Complex and Nikki Patin. Signed copies of Working On Me will be available for sale. 🔗 Get your tickets at the link in our bio.

TOMORROW 🎉 Don’t miss the function of the year! Join the Guild Literary Complex for our 35 Writers to Watch Celebration Party. Thurs. April 30 at 7pm Epiphany Center for the Arts TICKETS —> link in bio. ✨Includes 1 free drink✨ 💿 DJ @jsbxse The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago. Join us tomorrow evening to celebrate all the writers! Visit guildcomplex.org/35-writers-to-watch for the full list: ⭐️Julian David Randall ⭐️Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ⭐️James Stewart III ⭐️Marisa Tirado ⭐️Czaerra Galicinao Ucol 🎟️guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch

IN 2 DAYS 🎉 Don’t miss the function of the year! Join the Guild Literary Complex this Thursday for the 35 Writers to Watch Celebration Party. Thurs. April 30 at 7pm Epiphany Center for the Arts 🔗 TICKETS —> link in bio. ✨Includes 1 free drink✨ The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago. Join us in just a few days to celebrate all the writers! Visit guildcomplex.org/35-writers-to-watch for the full list: ⭐️Annette LePique ⭐️Meghan Malachi ⭐️Maya Odim ⭐️Pidgeon Pagonis ⭐️Noel Quiñones 🎟️guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch

Don’t miss the function of the year! This Thursday join the Guild Literary Complex for the 35 Writers to Watch Celebration Party 🎉 Thurs. April 30 at 7pm Epiphany Center for the Arts 🔗 TICKETS —> link in bio. ✨Includes 1 free drink✨ The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago. Join us in just a few days to celebrate all the writers! Visit guildcomplex.org/35-writers-to-watch for the full list: ⭐️Matthew Kelsey ⭐️LP Kindred ⭐️Roy Kinsey ⭐️Charlie Kolodziej ⭐️Nile Lansana 🎟️guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch

Guild Literary Complex presents… 35 Writers to Watch Thurs. April 30 at 7pm Epiphany Center for the Arts 🔗 TICKETS —> link in bio. ✨Includes 1 free drink✨ The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago. Join us next week to celebrate all the writers! Visit guildcomplex.org/35-writers-to-watch for the full list: ⭐️Marcy Rae Henry ⭐️féi iká shumarí ⭐️Ann Hudson ⭐️I.S. Jones ⭐️Nakiyah T.M. Jordan 🎟️guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch

NEXT WEDNESDAY! Join us during National Poetry Month for a special online workshop series with 5th Illinois Poet Laureate, Angela Jackson 🎤 Poem as Autobiography is a virtual course designed to explore and illuminate moments of life in individual poems and the evolution of the self in invaluable collage. Poem as well as personal myths and folk tales will be examined. Course Schedule: Wednesdays (6:30 – 8:00PM) April 29 May 6 May 13 May 20 Books of Reference: Carolyn Rodgers – “How I got ovah” Lucille Clifton – “good times” Robert Hayden – “Angle of Ascent” Internet & Zoom setup is needed for each class and seats are limited, so don’t wait to sign up. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to participate in 4 classes taught by renowned poet Angela Jackson, for a tuition of only $50! 🔗 Register at the link in our bio. #nationalpoetrymonth #workshop #classes

Guild Literary Complex presents… 35 Writers to Watch Thurs. April 30 at 7pm Epiphany Center for the Arts 🔗 TICKETS —> link in bio. ✨Includes 1 free drink✨ The Guild Complex’s 35 Writers to Watch list celebrates the Guild’s 35+ years of innovative programming by featuring local writers whose careers represent the future of the literary arts in Chicago. Join us next week to celebrate all the writers! Visit guildcomplex.org/35-writers-to-watch for the full list: ⭐️Taylor Byas ⭐️MJ Dean ⭐️Noa Micaela Fields ⭐️Rocío Franco ⭐️Benji Hart 🎟️guildcomplex.org/event/35-writers-to-watch