Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle to host Open Mic Coffee House at ECC

Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle will visit Elgin Community College (ECC) on Tuesday, April 7, to lead a poetry workshop and host the Writer’s Center's monthly Open Mic Coffee House. 

The free events will begin at 5 pm in Building B, Room 313, at ECC’s 1700 Spartan Drive campus in Elgin, before the coffee shop event. The coffee house begins at 6 pm, downstairs from the workshop in Building B, Room 275 lobby, in front of the Poetry Wall.

“I always love the opportunity to connect with students and writers from all walks of life, and community colleges always seem to have some of the most diverse and interesting student bodies,” del Valle said. “I also think it's important to have opportunities for students to connect with professional artists so they can consider careers in the arts. I'm excited to be in conversation with the ECC community!”

She began her two-year tenure as the Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago in January 2026.

During the coffee house, del Valle will read selections of her poetry and invite students and community members to share their own poetry.  

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, del Valle is the author of “A South Side Girl’s Guide to Love and Sex” and “The University of Hip Hop.” She started her career at the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, where she became the 2001 Grand Slam Champion. 

Del Valle has appeared on six episodes of the HBO Max series “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” and has performed at venues worldwide. In 2024, she was awarded the Letras Boricuas Fellowship from Flamboyan Arts Fund and the Mellon Foundation. 

She has taught poetry in schools, colleges, and youth detention facilities andcurrently serves as a Poet-in-Residence with The Chicago Poetry Center.