Chicago Poet Laureate to Kick Off Fall 2026 Reading Series at ECC

Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle will return to Elgin Community College (ECC) once again on Thursday, September 17, to kick off ECC’s Reading Series for the fall 2026 semester. 

She first visited ECC in April, when she hosted the Writers Center’s monthly Open Mic Coffee House and led a poetry workshop. During her return visit in September, del Valle will lead two public events —a workshop at 2 pm in Building C, Room C120, followed by a reading at 6 pm in Building B, Room 181. Both events will take place at 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin, Illinois. 

“I'm excited to return to ECC and spend more time with the incredible students,” said del Valle on her upcoming visit. “I was so impressed by their willingness to go outside their comfort zone during the last workshop and open mic. For this visit, I'll be bringing in some more juicy prompts to get students digging, exploring, and writing. But I'm really looking forward to sharing more of my work this time, as well as being in conversation with the community during a Q&A. Having the opportunity to connect with new audiences and talk about my work and process is always a treat for me.”

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 2009, she appeared at the White House by invitation of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2024, she was awarded the Letras Boricuas Fellowship from Flamboyan Arts Fund and the Mellon Foundation. She began her two-year tenure as the Poet Laureate of the City of Chicago in January 2026.

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