A TRIO OF POETS - REGIE O'HARE GIBSON, TIMOTHY MASON & JENA GESSAMAN: Spoken Word Series We could not be more excited about our first spoken word residency. This Trio of Poets will appear as special guests in concert with Chris Smither, host poetry workshops in our public schools and for the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Smith, and present a Spoken Word concert of poetry and free verse

Regie O’Hare Gibson: “A talent rare charismatic and humane... when you perform you are supersonic and in the stratosphere...you sing and chant for all of us. Nobody gets left out.” (Kurt Vonnegut). Author, songwriter, educator and workshop facilitator Regie Gibson has read, taught, lectured and performed at universities, theaters and various other venues in seven countries, most recently Havana, Cuba. He has worked or performed with artists as diverse as David Amram and Mos Def, Richie Havens and Kurt Vonnegut. Regie has performed his work with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra “X”, a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural ensemble of classically trained musicians from several countries. He and his work appear in the New Line Cinema film "love jones" a film based on events in his life. His work has also appeared in a number of anthologies and journals including The Harvard Divinity Bulletin, The Iowa Review, Poetry Magazine and The Good Men Project. He is a National Poetry Slam Individual Champion and has been featured numerous times on NPR.

Timothy Mason:"His lines come like heat-seeking missiles, laced with street smart humor and insight." (Boston Globe). Tim has published two volumes of poetry, Feral Voices and Gently, Like Water Cracking Stone. Tim is not only a published and performing poet but has for nearly three decades been a driving force in the Folk Music world as a presenter in Eastern Massachusetts. Tim is an artist who digs deep and gives completely. An extensive background in human services, three years counselling for a telephone crisis intervention hotline, four years working with developmentally disabled adults, a stint with court-involved youth, and eight years volunteering in a battered women's shelter, has given him a unique empathy with the quiet battles of daily survival. Tim is remarkable in so many ways that spending any amount of time with him truly leaves a person richer. We are genuinely pleased to have him in Fort Smith and honored to present him in concert with Regie and Jena.

Jena Gessaman:“She opens her mouth and out comes a stream of the unexpected.”(Dallas Morning News). Jena has published four books of poems, co-written, produced and directed four multi-media performance art shows and been a member of two National Poetry Slam teams. She is an elementary poetry instructor for Badgerdog Literary Publishing during the week and writes Poems On The Spot at The Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market on Saturdays on her antique Olivetti. When not scribbling away on a random scrap of paper, she is an avid scuba diver, rollerblader and loves to cook. Jon Charles, Director of The Boys & Girls Club of Fort Hood Texas, calls Jena “a true gift, an artist that connects immediately."

NOTE: This show will be presented at The Media Center, 801 North 'A' Street, Fort Smith, AR