From Checkered Cloth

About the Book

This current anthology is the product of years of my extensive experience with the written word. The original anthology contained the black-and-white illustrations included in this book. The writings in that book evolved from my brief time as a homeless person after my graduation from Columbia College, Chicago. This book is an extension of my experience with the counseling services of the Thresholds Dincin Center and with the Bezazian Writers Group—a group originally formed as part of the now-defunct Neighborhood Writing Alliance.

About the Author

I, Allen F. McNair am a member of Thresholds, which is a psychosocial rehabilitation organization, as well as a self-taught artist and poet who is inspired daily by the wonders of life around me, my present and past experiences, and both the inner and outer beauty of all women. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College here in Chicago. I am a recent graduate of Wright College’s Information Processing Technology class, where I studied the application of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint programs. I recently produced an anthology of poetry entitled From Checkered Cloth which highlights some of my best work to date. I can be heard at Open Mike nights around the city, sharing my poetry. I have performed in an original production based on true stories for the Thresholds Theater Arts Project at the Theater Building. I have also taught classes in creative writing and performance at both the National Alliance for Mentally Ill (NAMI) and at Trilogy. I love watching science fiction, fantasy, and action in movies and reading those genres in literature in my spare time. I live in a studio apartment in Chicago with my 12-year-old long-haired black and white cat, Kit Kat. I am an author and self-taught artist who is inspired daily by the wonders of life around me, my present and past experiences, and both the inner and outer beauty of all women. From individual poetic portrayals in my early years of writing, I have graduated to writing an epic saga mentioned below. I have enjoyed writing since I was six years old, adapting themes from Western dramas and comic books for my own entertainment and for imagined audiences world-wide. In 1990, I seriously began composing short poetry and published these works in Thresholds Musing Place magazine, a publication to which I was a contributing editor. Much of my poetry was primarily based on my temporary experience with homelessness. My proudest achievement is the self-publishing of my book, I Dream of A’maresh, a science fiction epic poem of romance which I wrote and illustrated. I have shown a few of these illustrations in public showings. Some of its artwork were seen in the 27th American Disabilities Act Celebration at the James R. Thompson Center July 17 through July 22, 2017. A few of these works of art were once displayed in the July 2015 ADA Celebration at the same location. Some of them were shown at the Orange Restaurant in Lincoln Park last April 4, 2016. Others were also presented at the Orange Restaurant in Roscoe Village March 10 through May 28, 2015. I have likewise exhibited my artwork at the Gallery Cabaret in August 2106 and again in that same month of 2017. I have performed in an original production based on true stories for the Thresholds Theater Arts Project at the Theater Building. I have also taught classes in creative writing and performance at both the National Alliance for Mentally Ill (NAMI) and at Trilogy. In September of 2011, I was very happy to have secured a job at Mariano’s Fresh Market on my own initiative and continued to work for the company until I retired October of this year. I am looking forward to further distinguishing myself in the writing and illustrating areas of my life in the years ahead. I love watching science fiction, fantasy, and action in movies and reading those genres in literature in my spare time. I once lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago with my 7-year-old white and ginger cat, Butterscotch until I gave her up to the Treehouse Animal Shelter due to reasons of her poor health. Previously, I had a black and white long-haired cat named Kit Kat, who lived to be 20 years old.