Mon June 18th 7pm - Her Story Theatre utilizes the "chicago writers exchange" as a way for writers and performers to share ideas.  Tonight's exchange brings together an array of talented, racially diverse, cross-generational writers that will present multi-genre readings on the volatile subject of RACE from post Civil Rights Movement to present.

In its third "chicago writers exchange, Her Story Theatre  focuses on RACE – to embrace the value of difference.
Race seen through the varied cultural eyes of the sixty to sixteen year old; articulated through novel, spoken word, poetry, short story, humor, essay, blog and script. Tonight' featured writers are:

FEATURED WRITERS

 MONROE ANDERSON - novel  Sweetspeare's Sirens: A Tell-All Memoir by Pierce Trotter  Monroe Anderson is a veteran Chicago journalist. A published author, he has worked for magazines, newspapers, and television and currently writes his own political blog. He is currently seeking a literary agent to represent his novel, Sweetspeare’s Sirens: A Tell-All Memoir by Pierce Trotter, which is a saga about the first wave of African Americans to go into mainstream media in Chicago in the 1970s. From 1988-89 Anderson was the press secretary to Chicago Mayor Eugene Sawyer, the man who succeeded Harold Washington and preceded Richard M. Daley. Anderson has executive produced and hosted his own local CBS TV talk show, written signed op-ed page columns for both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, and was the editor of Savoy Magazine. 

MARY BONNETT - story  "Delilah Jones"  Mary writes and directs plays.  While earning an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, England, she fell in love with the novel.  Her children's novel The Adventures of Cleaver and Whizjam on The Isle of Oogle, is publisher ready, illustrations by Emily Thomsen.  Happily, she is finishing up her adult novel The Alabastard of The Mound, centered on a white albino seeking restitution for lost loved ones, set in 1920s Mississippi. Winner of many theater-related awards, Mary, Co-founder and Artistic Director of HER STORY THEATER, is currently developing HST's Shadow Town, based on young Chicago girls trafficked into the sex slave trade.

BENNIE CURRIE - essay  "The N-Word and How To Use It"   This piece was published originally in The Chicago Reader and also been published in editions of America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals (Robert Atwan/Bedford St. Martins Press)  Bennie Currie is a freelance journalist, editor and PR strategist whose 30-year career includes work with The Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Reader, The Tavis Smiley Show and WBEZ’s “Eight Fort-Eight” show. He and his wife, Celeste Garrett, have two teenagers, two cats and too little free time.

ROLANDO ITHIER - blog  "My Well Read Life with Claudette Jones Part I, II" Rolando Ithier is a Chicago-based journalist, writer and blogger-among many other things.  He writes about his everyday experiences living and growing up in Chicago.

MASON JOHNSON - humor  Mason Johnson was born in Chicago and currently writes and edits for CBS. He's performed at many readings, including Come Home Chicago, The Encyclopedia Show, and Quickies. Every second Sunday of the month you can find him at Cole's Bar where he hosts P. Fanatics, a weird, awkward and funny reading series that will probably make you feel a little uncomfortable, but only a little.  

 BEN JORAVSKY - novel The Greens with co-writer Rick Stone. Ben Joravsky writes about politics for the Chicago Reader.  He has written five books, including Hoop Dreams and The Greens, which he co-wrote with Rick Stone.  Ben has won many journalism prizes, including the 2010 Chicago Journalist of the Year Award from the Chicago Journalists Association and the 2010 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award from Northern Illinois University. Last but not least, he writes about pretty much everything else for The Third City, a daily humor blog that "rarely lies to the American people". 

 EMILY HOOPER LANSANA - short story  Emily Hooper Lansana, a Yale graduate, noted storyteller and educator, is the former Director of Education at Lincoln Center Theater. Her experience includes teaching storytelling and performance at numerous Chicago universities. She served as the Theater/Literary Arts Curriculum Supervisor for Chicago Public Schools and is currently the Community Partnerships Manager Arts And Public Life Initiative at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at University of Chicago.  She and fellow storyteller Glenda Zahra Baker, collectively known as “In The Spirit” have performed nationwide. Her husband is Chicago published poet and professor, Quraysh Ali Lansana.  Together, they raise four beautiful sons.

KRISDELARASH - spoken word   KrisDeLaRash (Kristen Beauford) has spoken her ever-evolving truth through her art, music, and poetry. Hailing from the south side of Chicago, Kris sculpts a (sometimes abrasive) reality that impels her audience to critique, embrace, and improve our world.  Kris extends her art to activism, performing all across the nation at benefits, fundraisers and community festivals to crowds of all demographics, for causes such as LGBTQ Rights, Rape Victims Advocates, Hate Crime Awareness, AIDS Awareness, and in solidarity with the people of Haiti and Palestine. At present, Kris boasts working with the legendary Oscar Brown Jr., as well as sharing the stage with HBO Def poets such as Suheir Hammad, Kristiana Colón, and Kevin Coval, in addition to opening for musical acts such as Kid Sister, K-Os , and John West. 

ANDREAH SANTOS - poetry  The youngest of the writers in this HST Exchange, Andreah attends one of Chicago's premiere high schools where she holds an A average.  Her interests are in history, performing and writing.  In earlier years, she attended a Chicago magnet school centered on the arts, where she participated in theater and music; currently takes Hot Yoga and is thrilled to be part of this very special HER STORY THEATER Writer's Exchange. 

RICK STONE - scene adaptation from The Greens  Rick Stone does it all -- act, sing and dance. Over the years, he's been featured in many productions at the Black Ensemble Theater, including God is a Black Man Named Ricky Stone (in which he played God), Howlin' at the Moon (he played Howlin' Wolf), Memphis Soul (he played Rufus Thomas) and Nothin' But the Blues.  He played Stone in Cooley High, the `70s film classic. He lived most of his life in Cabrini Green, where much of The Greens is set. He co-wrote The Greens with Ben Joravsky.