Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young talks at the inauguration of Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Since I started as a poet, I have been diligent in creating social, cultural and political spaces,” young said. (Joshua Clark/City of Chicago photo)

First of two parts looking at Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young

There is so much more to Chicago’s poet laureate than putting a pen to paper with prose.

avery r. young is also a singer, actor, artist, teacher, editor, director, composer, mentor and author.

“I never see myself in just one thing,” young said. “People have said, ‘We don’t know how to market you.’”

A product of Chicago’ West Side, young comes from a family of singers. In 1996, he attended an open mic event that led to offers to be featured at other open mics and cultural events.

He moved into teaching in 1999, providing instruction in poetry and creative writing. The artist has worked with young Chicago authors at the Center for Community Arts through Columbia College and at Urban Gateways.

In 2012, he became a teaching artist for the Arts and Public Life Artist-In-Residence at the University of Chicago.

“It was there that I started exploring various materials and crafting things outside of paper and pen,” young said. “I used a computer to type poems. I worked in different media. I created a lot of work that ended up in a book.”

He sees his poetry as an avenue to express opinions and get others to think about the world around them.

“Since I started as a poet, I have been diligent in creating social, cultural and political spaces,” young said. “I think I can influence the younger generation.”

In the forward to “neckbone: visual verses”, young’s collection of poetry, Chicago artist Theaster Gates called young “one of the most important thinkers on the Black experience.”

young said he is just being himself when he creates pieces.

“I am just doing the work I feel compelled to do. Nothing in me said, ‘I want to be poet laureate,’” young said. “It’s kind of cool, but by adding pieces of history things become so much more interesting.

“I am going to continue to do the work I do, creating (movie) scores, operas, films. I am excited to look forward. I will keep looking to expand the material I use to craft poems. I don’t necessarily think of it as being outside the box. I am just increasing the opportunity to do more work.”

young said he has gotten a bit more national exposure since being named Chicago’s first poet laureate last year.

“It’s a wild ride I’m having right now,” young said.

As poet laureate, young will serve a two-year term and be awarded $50,000 for the commissioning of new poems and to create public programming, including programs for youths and students. The poet laureate serves as an ambassador for the city’s’ literary and creative communities.

young said he feels no pressure in his poet laureate position to cast the city in a positive light. He did say though that there is plenty of good in the city that often gets overlooked.

“I am working with the city and library to consider the laureate being given space for new works,” young said. “The narrative of the city is beginning to shift. The narrative is it’s a beautiful city, not just filled with cultural, political and urban turmoil. We need to make life here blissful.”