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 last program of the season at HCAM-TV Studios with guest features including: poet Polly Brown sharing the poetry and stories of her mother's recently published book and singer-songwriter Peg Espinola who will share some of her original songs and the stories of what inspired them. Open Mic for poetry, literary readings/stories and songs to follow. Come and join us for this last very special event of the season. Your host, Cheryl Perreault host of Wake up and Smell the Poetry

	Polly Brown Polly Brown lives, walks almost every day no matter what the weather, and writes not quite that faithfully, in Hopkinton. She’s a member of the Boston-area group of poets Every Other Thursday, and has taught at the Worcester Art Museum, in private groups, at public libraries including Hopkinton’s, at the Mass Poetry Festival, and at Touchstone Community School in Grafton. With the help of mentors at the Joiner Institute at U Mass Boston, she has written about war and peace, and she has worked with Cheryl Perreault to organize plein air poetry events. Recent poems in The Worcester Review have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Two published chapbooks remain in print: Blue Heron Stone, from Every Other Thursday Press, and Each Thing Torn from Any of Us, from Finishing Line. A new book of poems, Pebble Leaf Feather Knife, will be released by Cherry Orchard in 2019. After helping several other fellow poets assemble and edit their books, Polly Brown decided to encourage Jeanne Sawyer, her mother and first poetry mentor, to assemble a book from the many poems Jeanne had written and shared but never published. They worked together on the book over a period of several years, with help from other poets including Sarah Bennett, a book designer who lives in Lynn. Evolution: Poems Across Seven Decades was published in August 2017, just long enough before Jeanne’s death in May 2018 so that Jeanne could feel the satisfaction of it. In this feature, Polly will read some of Jeanne’s poems, and show photographs to document the process leading to the book’s publication.
	Peg Espinola While I was growing up, music was a reliable source of joy and connection in my family as we moved about the country, facing many economic, political and mental health challenges. Mozart, Burl Ives, Paul Robeson, Gilbert and Sullivan, Rogers and Hammerstein--as long as it was good, it was good enough for our family. Then as a sophomore in high school I lucked out and met the Seeger family--that would be Peggy and Mike, younger half-sibs of Pete; their father Charlie, a pre-eminent folk musicologist and arranger; and Elizabeth Cotton, their housekeeper. For almost two years I hung out on Friday evenings there, getting a crash course in American folk music with occasional visits from Pete, who brought more music from around the world. A second-hand Martin guitar, gift from my dad, became my friend and companion for the rest of my life. In 2003 I wrote my first song while studying with Bob Franke at a NH music camp and since then have written 59 more, and produced four CDs. On the side, I married, raised a family, and pursued a career in social worker. I still have a small private psychotherapy practice at home.


	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: HCAM Studios offers a supportive and professional setting for open mic where contributing writers and artists can share their words of poetry, song or story while being filmed before a live audience. There is a limited sign-up and a limit of four minutes per open mic contribution. Please bring material suitable for sharing on public television and sign a release form if you would like to be considered for inclusion on the televised program. Participants are encouraged to sign up in advance as open mic spots can be limited with attending audience ranging from 20-50 each month. 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