Margaret Atwood, Mark Strand, Adrienne Rich, Sharon Olds...four great who have read their work at The Poetry Center of Chicago. To get an idea of what a large and esteemed group they're a part of, multiply those four by 100. From Nobel Prize winners to U.S. Poet Laureates to unlikely suspects like Billy Corgan and Michael Crichton, this acclaimed not-for-profit center brings poetry to the ears of thousands of Chicagoans...as it intended to do.

Founded in 1973 by Paul Carroll and a team of Chicago poets, the lexicographers set out to fill a void, creating a literary center that would nurture and expand the audience for poetry. Guiding principles of The Poetry Center's charter are: "To make poetry accessible to as many people as possible, promote and develop the public's interest in poetry, stimulate and encourage young poets, and advance the careers of poets by offering them professional opportunities."

Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs gave The Center's first official reading, filling the former Museum of Contemporary Art to capacity. Beginning in 1982, events were held at The Art Institute, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Chicago Cultural Center. In 1996, a partnership was forged with The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where The Poetry Center remains in residence.