Aurora’s poet laureate is making sure that poetry is in clear view in the city’s downtown.  

Karen-Fullett Christensen was at the starting line ready to take off after her appointment. But before she could get into a stride the pandemic swooped in like a whirlwind.  

“So, all the great plans that I had of things I wanted to do related to the poet laureate position really had to be put on hold with the exception of the Aurora Poet Laureate Facebook page,” she said, “and then everything that we're doing with A-Town Poetics.”  

Welcome to WNIJ's Poetically Yours. This segment showcases poems by northern Illinois poets. Today's poem is by Jennifer Rea.

We are all aware of the color blue, but what’s going on in our brains to make us conscious of the color blue?

So far, scientists don’t know. But let’s flash forward in hope and assume that by the year 2100 they figure it out. Awareness of the color blue is the result of a specific electro-chemical process in the cerebellum called LB2019c.

But there’s still a problem. When I see the color blue, I think of my Aunt Gwenelda, who loved the color. You, on the other hand, think of how depressed you’ve been. Yet that same LB2019c mechanism stimulated our awareness of blue.

Paralysis by Analysis is the new album out now from DeKalb artist Mark Walters, also known as Kram. Join us for this week's show featuring music from that album and more, performed live in WNIJ's Studio A. We'll also talk with Mark Walters about his background, inspirations, and about writing and producing Paralysis by Analysis.   

In special ed, teachers usually work with fewer students, and the relationships they build -- not only with kids but also their parents -- can become very close. The school year has been especially challenging with COVID-19 restrictions, but Maddi Bodine has kept forging those bonds -- even online or through plexiglass. She’s a pre-K special ed teacher at Kingston Elementary.