April 25, 2026
Logan Center for the Arts
Screening Room 201
915 E. 60th St., Chicago, Illinois
Presented by
Black & Brown Femme Films.
Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz brought poetry, live jazz,
and femme storytelling together for an intimate, full-house celebration
of Black and Brown voices at Chicago’s Logan Center for the Arts.
About Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz
Presented during National Poetry Month, Femme Gaze explored
femininity through the lived experiences, memories, artistry, and
voices of Black and Brown women and femmes.
Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle joined a curated ensemble of
Chicago poets for an evening in which spoken word moved in conversation
with improvisational jazz. The performances unfolded with rhythm,
honesty, humor, vulnerability, and presence.
Guests had been invited to arrive in their finest feminine expression
and to listen deeply. What emerged was a warm, community-centered room
where performers and audience members could experience poetry together
rather than from a distance.
A full house. An intimate room. An evening led by remarkable women
sharing poetry, music, memory, and truth.
Featured Voices
Every featured poet performed with live accompaniment from
The Raven Trio, allowing each poem and musical response to develop
uniquely in the room.
Mayda del Valle
Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle is a Chicago-born writer and
multidisciplinary artist rooted in the Puerto Rican diaspora. Her
work brings poetry, performance, and memory together to transform
personal history into shared experience.
Ayana Melodia
Poet, singer-songwriter, and memoirist Ayana Melodia creates work
centered on memory, transformation, and femaledom. Her writing and
performances invite audiences into intimate reflection and shared
discovery.
Erika with a K
Erika with a K is a Latine queer spoken-word artist born and raised
on Chicago’s South Side. Their work creates space for
decolonization, liberation of the self, celebration, and humanity.
Trinity Sapphire
Trinity Sapphire is a Chicago-born spoken-word artist, poet, and
author from the West Side. Blending art and activism, she is a
co-founder of Poet’s Perspective Network and the author of
Traces: Poetry in Motion.
Live Jazz by The Raven Trio
COFFEE JAZZ COLLECTIVE
The Raven Trio
Led by multi-instrumentalist Mira Raven, The Raven Trio accompanied
each poet with live drums, bass, and piano.
The ensemble’s improvisational approach allowed the music to respond
to the language, emotion, and rhythm of each performance. Rather
than functioning as background music, the jazz became an active
partner in the storytelling.
A Full House and an Intimate Conversation
The screening room was filled, but the evening retained a sense of
intimacy and closeness. The poets, musicians, and audience created
something that felt deeply communal—a room built around listening,
expression, and respect for the stories being shared.
The program concluded with a special audience Q&A featuring
Mayda del Valle. The conversation extended the themes of the
performances and invited the audience to engage directly with
questions of poetry, identity, creative practice, and lived
experience.
More than a traditional poetry reading or jazz performance,
Femme Gaze became a shared experience shaped by the remarkable
women who led it and the community that filled the room.
Original Event Program
Explore the original program to learn more about the featured poets
and the evening’s performances.
VIEW THE PROGRAM
Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz — Official Event Program →
Inside the Evening
Scenes from an intimate night of poetry, jazz, community, and
Black and Brown femme expression at the Logan Center for the Arts.
Event Listings and Coverage
Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz was featured by Chicago arts,
culture, and event publications.
CHICAGO JAZZ ALLIANCE
Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz →
PRIDEINDEX
Femme Gaze: She Speaks Jazz →
DO312
Femme Gaze with Chicago Poet Laureate Mayda del Valle →