Lumpen Radio Special: The Live Frequency: Verse & Vision
Lumpen Radio Special:
The Live Frequency: Verse & Vision
Lumpen Radio presents a special live broadcast experience recorded before an in-person audience at Co-Prosperity, bringing listeners and attendees together for a landmark evening of cultural dialogue and performance.
The Live Frequency: Verse & Vision gathers four of Chicago’s most distinguished literary figures—avery r. young, Mayda A. Del Valle, Mark Turcotte, and Angela Jackson—for a 2-hour radio broadcast on WLPN-LP Chicago 105.5FM Lumpen Radio.
The evening begins with an intimate, in-depth roundtable hosted by Mario Smith. This collective interview will explore the intersection of their distinct creative visions and their shared role in shaping the city’s identity. Following the conversation, the broadcast shifts from dialogue to the spoken word, featuring a sequence of powerful readings from all four laureates.
By capturing both the insight of the interview and the art of the reading, Verse & Vision offers a comprehensive look at the voices defining the soul of Chicago.
Live at Co-Prosperity (3219 S. Morgan St)
or tune in to WLPN-LP Chicago 105.5FM
Thursday, June 4, 2026 • 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Live Broadcast: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Post-Broadcast Gathering: 8:00pm – 9:00pm
**Supported by Time and a half Books, who will be on-site selling collections of our featured poets’ work.
ABOUT THE POETS:
Angela Jackson
Illinois Poet Laureate (Appointed 2020–2024)
A prolific poet, playwright, and novelist, Angela Jackson was raised on Chicago’s South Side. She is the author of numerous award-winning works, including All These Roads Be Luminous, which was nominated for the National Book Award, and her novel Where I Must Go, which won the American Book Award. Her poetry is deeply rooted in the African American experience and the geography of Chicago. She is a recipient of the Shelley Memorial Award and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.
Mark Turcotte
Illinois Poet Laureate (Appointed 2025)
A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Anishinaabe, Mark Turcotte is the author of four poetry collections, including Exploding Chippewas. His work has appeared in Poetry, Kenyon Review, and Ploughshares. A long-time fixture of the Chicago literary community, he has been awarded fellowships from the Lannan Foundation and the Wisconsin Arts Board. He currently serves as a Distinguished Writer-In-Residence at DePaul University.
avery r. young
Inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate (Appointed 2023)
An interdisciplinary artist and educator, avery r. young works at the intersection of phonics, performance, and visual text. He is the author of neckbone: visual verses and has released several albums, including tubman. and booker t. soltreyne: a race rekkid. He is a co-director of the Floating Museum and a 3Arts Awardee. His work explores the Black experience through sound design, visual art, and social justice.
Mayda A. Del Valle
Chicago Poet Laureate (Appointed 2026)
A native of Chicago’s South Side, Mayda Del Valle is a trailblazer in the performance poetry scene. She was the youngest individual winner of the National Poetry Slam and a featured performer in the original Tony Award-winning Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Her work, which blends personal history with the Puerto Rican diaspora and hip-hop culture, has led her to perform at the White House and be named one of Smithsonian Magazine’s Young Innovators.
**Lumpen Radio is celebrating a decade of Low-Power to the people / Radio es Cultura