[Peace] Tara Betts is coming to Allen Hall!

[Laura Haber]

Please forward widely:

Writer, educator, performer Tara Betts, will be a Guest-in-Residence at Unit
One/Allen Hall, January 30 - February 3. She will be leading workshops and
giving performances each night of her residency. All programs are open to the
public and take place in the south rec room of Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory,
Urbana. Parking is available in the parking garage across the street after 5pm.
Her opening program: “Love Entangled With The Past” is Sunday, January 30 at
8pm. See below for a full schedule of her activities.

About Tara Betts: 
Tara Betts, writer/educator/performer, appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and as
a cast member for Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues at Chicago's DuSable Museum. 
After winning Guild Complex's Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, Tara represented
Chicago at the 1999 & 2000 National Poetry Slams. Tara's work has appeared in
Steppenwolf Theater’s Words on Fire, The Spoken Word Revolution, That Takes
Ovaries!, ROLE CALL, Bum Rush the Page and Poetry Slam. Tara Betts teaches
writing and encourages literacy with Young Chicago Authors and the
internationally-acclaimed Gallery 37. Tara co-hosts the performance series and
open mic Women OutLoud and co-founded GirlSpeak, a weekly writing/leadership
workshop for young women.

Sunday, January 30
8:00pm - Opening Program: Love Entangled With The Past - a presentation of
Tara’s storytelling, spoken word and literary work. Tara's work explores the
possibilities of family within and outside bloodlines, the weight of history
and the prevailing force of love.

Monday, January 31
7:00pm - Writing as Activism - Literary and visual art that changes the world
without becoming hollow propaganda. 

9:00pm - Yoga for Everybody - Yoga can be a centering, calming practice that
assists people in their physical health and alleviates stress, especially if
you spend too much time in front of a computer or slouched behind a desk. Join
Tara to learn some basic asanas (positions) and pranayama (breathing
techniques) to improve your overall health.

Tuesday, February 1
7:00pm - The Persona Poem (workshop) - How do we step into another person’s
shoes? What might life be like for them at a given moment of beauty, utter
horror, or triumph? A workshop on writing from another’s point of view with
stunning examples from great poets.

9:00pm - Interracial Identity in the Arts: film screening of Mixing Nia and
discussion - What does it mean to experience the world through multiple lenses
of race and culture? How have multicultural writers and artists challenged the
social constructs of race?

Wednesday, February 2
7:00pm - Women’s Issues Are Everybody’s Issues - discussion - What are women’s
issues? What does it mean to be inclusive?

9:00pm - Performance Poetry Workshop - Looking for ways to make your poetry
come alive at an open mic or slam or do you just want to become a better reader
in public settings? Bring a poem or be prepared to write a brief poem. We will
talk about memorization methods, how to script physical text and incorporate
sound effects into your writing and encourage the strength of your writing
first. Be prepared to move, tell the truth, and show respect for people who
have the courage to share. 

Thursday, February 3
7:00pm - Ethnopoetics: Poetic Forms by Writers of Color - Why does the canon
often exclude writers of color? We will look at what it means to study and
write in poetic forms from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean. 

9:00pm - Allen Hall OutLoud Open Mic hosted by Tara Betts - A night of spoken
word etc. All (Allen and non-Allen) are invited to share their writing. Tara
co-hosts Chicago’s Women OutLoud and encourages call and response. 

Laura Haber
Program Coordinator of Unit One
University of Illinois
68 Allen Hall (MC 050)
1005 W. Gregory
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-2317
lhaber at admin.housing.uiuc.edu