ECC Hosts Illinois Poet Laureate

The 6th Illinois Poet Laureate, Mark Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Band Anishinaabe), will visit Elgin Community College (ECC) on Thursday, February 26, to kick off the Spring 2026 Reading Series at the Writers Center. 

The event will include a craft workshop from 2 to 3:15 pm at ECC’s 1700 Spartan Drive campus in Elgin, in Building C, Room 120. The evening reading series lecture, titled “Poetry from the Trenches: How a lifetime of work can shape a poet,” will begin at 6 pm in Building B, Room 181. 

“Any time I make a public appearance, I hope to encounter and connect with people who are open-minded and curious, not only about poetry and art, but also about what can happen when poetry and art are shared in person,” Turcotte said. “Especially when it comes to younger creators, I like to remind them that their mostly solitary acts of creation have a potential life, even a purpose that extends into community.”

He is the author of several books, including “The Feathered Heart and Exploding Chippewas.” Turcotte’s work has appeared in numerous national and international literary journals and anthologies, including the first-ever “Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry.” 

His poem, “Dear New Blood,” was recently featured on the poetry podcast, “Poetry Unbound.” He lives in Chicago and has served since 2009 as senior lecturer and distinguished-writer-in-residence in the English Department at DePaul University.

The Spring 2026  Reading Series will continue with events on Wednesday, March 18, and Tuesday, April 14. On March 18, ECC professors Jeff Weisman and Eckhard Gerdes (also known as Apollo Camembert) will discuss experimental fiction. On April 14, author Dennard Dayle will present his new book “How to Dodge a Cannonball.” 

Additional details about these events will be released at a later date.