Wake Up and Smell the Poetry

Weekly Schedule	First Airing	Second Airing	Third Airing	Fourth Airing
Wake Up and Smell the Poetry	Friday. 5:00 PM	Thursday, 4:30 AM	Thursday, 12:00 PM	Monday, 7:00 PM

NOW ONLINE 2018 Season 2017 Season 2016 Season 2015 Season 2014 Season 2013 Season 2012 Season 2011 Season 2010 Season 2009 Season 2008 Season HCAM News Re: Wake Up!	This series is for the merging of minds and souls of poets, musicians and other performing artists... as well as those simply coming to listen. We provide a forum for a variety of talented writers and performing artists to share their words and get people awakened and excited about the diversity of voices, perspectives and insights expressed through the art form of poetry, song and spoken word. This program is offered jointly by myself a host/ producer and by HCAM Station Manager Jim Cozzens. Admission is free but there is a passing of the hat for the features. There are very talented poets and musicians on board for this coming season. You can sign up for reserved seating and open mic below. Limited open mic slots are available on a first come first serve basis. (More info) - Cheryl Perreault

	You are invited to join us for our next morning program November 17th Offering the unique intermixing of poetry, story and music/songs for community Our guest features will be Crystal Williams and Kevin So Both guests will have 30 minutes to offer an intimate-style feature presentation An open mic takes place for offering 4 minute contributions of poetry, story or song This event takes place in a small, welcoming "black box theater" setting at HCAM-TV Studios The public is welcome and admission is free. We pass the hat for the features The program is filmed before a live audience and later edited into weekly TV programs Come and join as audience and experience this exciting local program of literary and performing arts! Your host, Cheryl Perreault host of Wake up and Smell the Poetry

	Crystal Williams Crystal Williams is a poet and essayist who works at Boston University as Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion. She also serves as a regular advisor to senior leaders, organizations, and colleges across the nation, specifically with regard to recruitment, retention, inclusive climate development, and organizational capacity building in the Arts and in Higher Education. Crystal began her career in the arts as an actress, working in Washington, DC. before moving to New York to pursue a career in the arts. Once in New York, she transitioned from theater to performance and poetry, becoming a regular at the Nuyorican Poets Café in the mid-90s where she earned a spot on the 1995 Nuyorican Slam Team, which competed in the National Slam in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her highly anthologized performance poem, “In Search of Aunt Jemima,” was the only poem of that competition to receive a perfect score and it continues to be regularly performed by new generations of young women more than twenty years later. Since her early New York days, Williams, a poet and essayist, has published four collections of poems, most recently Detroit as Barn, finalist for the National Poetry Series, Cleveland State Open Book Prize, and the Maine Book Award. Her third collection, Troubled Tongues, was awarded the 2009 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2009 Oregon Book Award, the Idaho Poetry Prize, and the Crab Orchard Poetry Prize. Her first two books, Kin and Lunatic, were published by Michigan State University Press in 2000 and 2002, respectively. Her work has regularly appeared in the nation’s leading journals and magazines, including: American Poetry Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, PEN: America, The Indiana Review, The Sun, Tin House, Ms. Magazine, Ploughshares, and Callaloo. Likewise, her poems appear in numerous anthologies, including: Angles of Ascent: The Norton Anthology of African American Poetry, American Poetry: The Next Generation, Efforts and Affections, and Rainbow Darkness. www.crystalannwilliams.com
	Kevin So Kevin, a Chinese American born and raised in greater Boston, attended Boston Latin School and went on to Los Angeles to graduate from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies. From there, he moved back to the East Coast, and for 10 weeks, worked as a professional keyboardist for Premier Cruise Lines that took him back and forth from Cape Canaveral to the Bahamas. Kevin then joined a cover band called XPO, and as a singer, keyboardist, guitarist, and dancer, performed at various clubs across the United States. Tired of performing Top 40 material, Kevin hung up his "cover band hat" and decided to hit the highly competitive open mic Boston circuit in January 1995 performing his own songs. Since then, Kevin has produced eight independently released CDs, including his latest "Leaving The Lights On" - what he describes as "my Asian American Songs in The Key of Life... my Quan-drophenia" combining such diverse influences as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye with a little bit of Richard Pryor thrown in. Confronting identity, relationships, history, family, and racism, this recording is one of the most talked about albums of the year. ...Fans all over the world have caught on to So's lyrical truths and his knack for engaging people through his music, intense storytelling, and foot stomping performances. He has been nominated eight times for the Boston Music Awards and has opened for some of the industry's best known acts including Joe Cocker, Randy Newman, Richie Havens, Billy Bragg, Mary Lou Lord, Livingston Taylor, Martin Sexton, Robben Ford, Chris Smither, and Dar Williams. Visit his official website: www.kevinso.com


	More Information on our program: This venue welcomes participating artists from near and far as well as the general public who are interested in seeing this unique, monthly event honoring the art of poetry, song and spoken word. Admission is free and all are welcome. Most of our programs are available for viewing here. Features Information: Guest features for this program are selected based on their talent as both a writer and in their ability to deliver poetry, stories and songs as well as thematic content, diversity of style, audience appeal and genuine interest and ability to connect with the audience (both in studio and on air). We receive many inquiries regarding eligibility of feature spots and although most features are selected based on advance program topics and themes, interested applicants are welcome to email feature press kit and inquiries or to HCAM Studios, 77 Main Street, Hopkinton Ma 01748. (directions) Open Mic Information: An open mic follows, offering 4 minute contributions of poetry, story or song. This season, given our time- limited open mic program, first priority will be given to those who did not perform the previous month. Names of those who performed the previous month will be added to a wait list and notified of available spots by Wednesday before the event. The program is filmed before a live audience and later edited into weekly TV programs People come from near and far sharing poetry, spoken word and songs, some for the first time and some who are seasoned writers/performers. Regardless of experience, those who have performed at the open mic in the last three seasons have traditionally offered their best for this friendly and professional setting. This has resulted in a showcasing of a very special blend of impressive talents within each month's program so that most performances are included in either the monthly "Wake up..." series or the "All Open Mic" program. If you are interested in reserving an open mic spot or simply in reserving a seat to watch as audience, please sign up above.

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Wake Up and Smell the Poetry