Fiction novelist, poet, writing coach, and CEO of Quill & Cup, Ania Ray, will be featured at Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.
The regular open mic session for all poets, musicians, and storytellers will begin at 6:30 p.m. today. Ray will begin her feature set at 7:15 p.m., followed by another round of open mic. Admission is free and open to all ages. All are welcome.
Born in Chicago, Ray and her husband recently returned to the United States after spending a year adventuring abroad in Costa Rica. She recently went on teaching sabbatical.
"I was an English teacher in a private high school on Chicago's Southside before leaving the classroom to create Quill & Cup -- an online writing community for women who are ready to prioritize their writing by leaning into education on mindset and craft, and making progress on the story that won't let them go, within a fiercely supportive sisterhood," Ray said in a news release.
"When I'm not building relationships with writers, planning curriculum, or coaching writers -- by teaching live or recording lessons -- then I'm probably talking about the mission and vision at large with my husband and co-founder. If we're not doing that, then we're probably planning our next travel adventure, updating our Goodreads, or chit-chatting about what project we'd like to take on next," Ray said.
"I'm not sure if I'm taking a sabbatical or have accidentally retired from classroom teaching, but I do know I have incredible trust in the direction of my journey. Don't get me wrong -- I miss my high-schoolers terribly. Being trusted to guide their journeys and walk with them is an immense privilege. What I do know is that the teacher heart never goes away, and my ability to create classroom culture is reaching across Zoom screens and finding itself in women's homes around the world: Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, India, Mexico, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and across the States," she said.
"I'm a product of Catholic education -- I attended a small Catholic school a block away from my family home, then attended an all-girls high school a few miles away. I'm a proud alumna of DePaul University; I graduated with a BA in English with a concentration in Literary Studies and soon after earned my M.Ed. in Secondary Education in English. I'm married, 'living a life in the waiting,' and loving all the laughs and cuddles we have with Bahama Blu, the green-eyed Russian Blue we adopted a few years ago on Black Friday," she said.
When asked about she got interested in poetry, Ray says, "I remember writing my first poem during a standardized test. One of the reading sections was a poem and I loved the rhythm of it, so I copied it the best I could (while I was waiting for the time the teacher said "STOP") and played around with changing the words. The next memory I have is during math class, in my purple notebook, pining away over unrequited love. I used to think that I could only write when my heart was aching or broken. Now I know it's enough to pay attention to what sparks me out of baseline. What do I notice? Why? Before long, a poem is tumbling out! Though my poetry hasn't been published, I've published two contemporary women's fiction novels -- ' The Cromwell Rules' and 'Breaking the Rules.' I'll have copies of 'Breaking the Rules' with me to sell as well. I'll make a QR code for guests to order 'The Cromwell Rules.'"
Ray says she is "moved by nature. Human connection (or lack of it). Hope (or lack of it). Suffering must be acknowledged, but human beings always forget that our superpower is the ability to adapt and choose a road that feels most authentic and kind and helpful for ourselves and those around us. I love being that reminder for people -- melding both compassion and what I know of psychology and human nature to help writers give fear, uncertainty, and doubt the middle finger. In my fiction, you'll find me asking the protagonist to confront the worst of herself in order to become the hero of her own story. My favorite poets include Khalil Gibran, P.T. Berkey, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Kai Coggin, and Robert Frost! Wednesday Night Poetry is the place where I feel like I have a spot of my own in my husband's home state. I feel welcome to melt into words here; like, the world can do what it's going to do outside, but we're creating home and beauty inside. I found WNP indirectly, through Kai's Words and Wine Night!"
"Ania is a deeply feeling, brave, compassionate, adventurous woman and an inspiring writer. I have been cheering on her journey for many years, even zooming into her classroom of high school kids during the pandemic. Now she is on another tremendous path, helping women all over the world find their voices. What a gift it is to have her share her heart with the WNP community. We have had a string of really special features. This week is no different," WNP Host Kai Coggin said in the release.
This week marks 1,747 consecutive Wednesdays of open mic poetry in downtown since Feb. 1, 1989. "WNP is the longest-running consecutive weekly open mic series in the country," the release said. Email [email protected] for more information.