Artspeak Radio National Poetry Month and Under The Radar

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd celebrates National Poetry Month with poets Mary Silwanc and Josē Faus. In the second half of the program we welcome DJ/musician/producer/host of Under The Radar, John Todd Thomas.

National Poetry Month www.poets.org
Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month reminds the public that poets have an integral role to play in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.
Thanks in part to our National Poetry Month partners and sponsors, each April the Academy is able to offer activities, initiatives, and resources so that anyone can join the celebration:

• Order (for free) and display the official 2022 National Poetry Month poster
• Read about 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month online and at home
• Read about 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month in the classroom
• Join the Academy of American Poets for its virtual Poetry & the Creative Mind gala on April 28
• Find online poetry readings and events on our Poetry Near You calendar, and add your own
• Encourage students in grades five through twelve to participate in the 2022 Dear Poet Project
• Sign up for Poem-a-Day and enjoy a free daily poem in your inbox, in April 2022 curated by award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye
• Follow the thousands of celebrations taking place on social media with the official hashtag #NationalPoetryMonth and follow the Academy of American Poets on Twitter and Instagram @POETSorg
• Share a #PocketPoem on Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 29
• Make a gift to the Academy of American Poets

MARY SILWANCE is an Egyptian immigrant living in Kansas City. She mothers three daughters who daily inspire her to evolve. Her career trajectory has taken many paths, ranging from English teacher to farmhand. Writing however has been a constant avocation. Mary is an award-winning internationally published poet active in Kansas City’s writing scene, serves on the editorial team of Kansas City Voices and conducts writing workshops. Further, Mary blogs and facilitates workshops on our ecological situation from an intersectional perspective. In fact, Mary will be hosting a discussion with the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition on Monday, April 11. You can find Mary at marysilwance.com, where you’ll also be able to access her writing and other upcoming events.
www.marysilwance.com

JOSÉ FAUS is a native of Bogota, Colombia and a long-time Kansas City resident. He is a visual artist, performer, writer and teacher.
He received degrees in Studio Art/Painting and Creative Writing/Journalism from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He has been involved in a series of mural projects locally and internationally and participated in a variety of community engagement projects.
He won the Poets & Writers Maureen Egen Writers Exchange contest for the state of Kansas. He received a Rocket Grant for the community project VOX NARRO. He is a founding member of the Latino Writers Collective and sits on the boards of UMKC Friends of the Library and is president of the board of The Writers Place.

JOHN TODD THOMPSON, I’ve been involved in the music scene in KC since before I was a teenager, eventually becoming a professional musician & DJ. I found my way to KKFI 90.1 FM as a sound engineer with the Heartland Labor Forum and eventually a DJ !!!
My mission at KKFI? To find alternative, under-represented bands, and give them the airplay they deserve.
John’s program, “Under the Radar,” airs Thursday evenings from 10-12 p.m. on KKFI. Tune in to discover what bands John unearths next!
You can celebrate John Todd’s 10 years as producer/DJ of Under The Radar at the Barn Burner Saturday May 7th @ Woodyard BBQ
Featured bands include:
7pm Tracer Heights 
8pm Pop Skull Rebels 
9pm Strawbilly

Saturday, May 7, 2022 at 6pm – 10pm
Woodyard BBQ 3001 Merriam Ln, Kansas City, KS 66106-4613, United States

#artspeakradio
#kkficommunityradio

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