<p>In Episode 9 of the Spoken City Podcast, we talk with guests Lawrence Gordon and Sarah Gherghel. Lawrence is the the Co-Founder and CEO of Books with Color which inspires dads and male role models everywhere to read more books to children. His children inspire the content of his two self-published books Unicorn Dreams and The Dad, the Bully, and the Orange Ball. Sarah is the lead project manager for the Living Archives program as a listener/recorder of community members' stories. We dive into the art of telling YOUR story.</p>

In Episode 9 of the Spoken City Podcast, we talk with guests Lawrence Gordon and Sarah Gherghel. Lawrence is the the Co-Founder and CEO of Books with Color which inspires dads and male role models everywhere to read more books to children. His children inspire the content of his two self-published books Unicorn Dreams and The Dad, the Bully, and the Orange Ball. Sarah is the lead project manager for the Living Archives program as a listener/recorder of community members' stories. We dive into the art of telling YOUR story.

Story Telling

Spoken City Podcast is turning up the volume on everyday creatives in UCity. Spoken City is based out of the North East side of Charlotte, which produces some of the best artists, writers, thinkers, and leaders in our city. Creatives who are speaking their unique version of goodness into the world.

You will meet them and hear their stories. Their stories of creating, living, and making a difference in our community in a unique way. You will hear about their process, how where they live influences them, and how they do it all in the context of a very real life.

Whether you are a creative or a leader that needs some inspiration or you are a person who has the desire to do something more, to see and hear something more, listen in. You might find that you already have access to more than enough to create and make a difference right where you are. You are Spoken City.

Led by Producer & Project Manager Jennifer Dow and inspired by the work of UCity Collective, Spoken City Podcast is hosted by a rotation of brilliant local spoken word artists “Bluz” Boris Rogers, Hannah Hasan, and Jay (Junius) Ward. Each month, one of the hosts will sit down with a different creative from University City to discuss a wide range of topics and themes, exploring what it means to be a creative, what creativity can look like on a day-to-day basis and the role that University City’s rich culture plays in influencing visionaries and ideation. 

Meet the Hosts:

Boris “Bluz” Rogers is an Emmy Award-winning and three-time National Poetry Slam Champion poet. Channeling human experience into words, Bluz poetry is universal, reaching into the hearts of all. Bluz is also an incredible Voice-over talent who has worked with the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, The National Museum of African American Music, and ESPN. Bluz has shared the stage with many distinguished poets and artists ranging from Nikki Giovanni to Outkast and, most recently, Freestyle Love Supreme. Constantly looking for the next innovative idea and the next creative project, Bluz is always ready to lend his talent and share his passion for entertaining and inspiring the world. Find Bluz online by following @bluzbluzbluz on Instagram and TikTok.

Junious “Jay” Ward is a poet living in Charlotte, NC, and the author of Sing Me a Lesser Wound (Bull City Press) and Composition (Button Poetry). Jay is a National Poetry Slam champion, Individual World Poetry Slam champion, and Charlotte’s inaugural Poet Laureate. His poems can be found in Four Way Review, DIAGRAM, Columbia Journal, The Amistad, Diode Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Find Jay online at jwardpoetry.com or follow @charlotte_poet on Instagram. 

Hannah Hasan is an award-winning master storyteller, spoken word poet, author, playwright, and creative facilitator who believes that our stories will set us free. She’s built an impressive and impactful career centered around using the arts of the written and spoken word to inspire, inform, educate, and empower audiences in her home state of North Carolina and throughout the United States. Hannah’s work centers around themes of home, social justice, racial justice, women's rights, and more. Find Hannah online at hannahhasan.com or follow @iamhannahhasan on Instagram and TikTok and @hannahhasan on Facebook.

Society & Culture

Arts

Spoken City Podcast is turning up the volume on everyday creatives in UCity. Spoken City is based out of the North East side of Charlotte, which produces some of the best artists, writers, thinkers, and leaders in our city. Creatives who are speaking their unique version of goodness into the world. You will meet them and hear their stories. Their stories of creating, living, and making a difference in our community in a unique way. You will hear about their process, how where they live influences them, and how they do it all in the context of a very real life. Whether you are a creative or a leader that needs some inspiration or you are a person who has the desire to do something more, to see and hear something more, listen in. You might find that you already have access to more than enough to create and make a difference right where you are. You are Spoken City. Led by Producer & Project Manager Jennifer Dow and inspired by the work of UCity Collective, Spoken City Podcast is hosted by a rotation of brilliant local spoken word artists “Bluz” Boris Rogers, Hannah Hasan, and Jay (Junius) Ward. Each month, one of the hosts will sit down with a different creative from University City to discuss a wide range of topics and themes, exploring what it means to be a creative, what creativity can look like on a day-to-day basis and the role that University City’s rich culture plays in influencing visionaries and ideation. Meet the Hosts: Boris “Bluz” Rogers is an Emmy Award-winning and three-time National Poetry Slam Champion poet. Channeling human experience into words, Bluz poetry is universal, reaching into the hearts of all. Bluz is also an incredible Voice-over talent who has worked with the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, The National Museum of African American Music, and ESPN. Bluz has shared the stage with many distinguished poets and artists ranging from Nikki Giovanni to Outkast and, most recently, Freestyle Love Supreme. Constantly looking for the next innovative idea and the next creative project, Bluz is always ready to lend his talent and share his passion for entertaining and inspiring the world. Find Bluz online by following @bluzbluzbluz on Instagram and TikTok. Junious “Jay” Ward is a poet living in Charlotte, NC, and the author of Sing Me a Lesser Wound (Bull City Press) and Composition (Button Poetry). Jay is a National Poetry Slam champion, Individual World Poetry Slam champion, and Charlotte’s inaugural Poet Laureate. His poems can be found in Four Way Review, DIAGRAM, Columbia Journal, The Amistad, Diode Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Find Jay online at jwardpoetry.com or follow @charlotte_poet on Instagram. Hannah Hasan is an award-winning master storyteller, spoken word poet, author, playwright, and creative facilitator who believes that our stories will set us free. She’s built an impressive and impactful career centered around using the arts of the written and spoken word to inspire, inform, educate, and empower audiences in her home state of North Carolina and throughout the United States. Hannah’s work centers around themes of home, social justice, racial justice, women's rights, and more. Find Hannah online at hannahhasan.com or follow @iamhannahhasan on Instagram and TikTok and @hannahhasan on Facebook.

Spoken City Podcast is turning up the volume on everyday creatives in UCity. Spoken City is based out of the North East side of Charlotte, which produces some of the best artists, writers, thinkers, and leaders in our city. Creatives who are speaking their unique version of goodness into the world.

You will meet them and hear their stories. Their stories of creating, living, and making a difference in our community in a unique way. You will hear about their process, how where they live influences them, and how they do it all in the context of a very real life.

Whether you are a creative or a leader that needs some inspiration or you are a person who has the desire to do something more, to see and hear something more, listen in. You might find that you already have access to more than enough to create and make a difference right where you are. You are Spoken City.

Led by Producer &amp; Project Manager Jennifer Dow&nbsp;and inspired by the work of UCity Collective, Spoken City Podcast is hosted by a rotation of brilliant local spoken word artists “Bluz” Boris Rogers, Hannah Hasan, and Jay (Junius) Ward. Each month, one of the hosts will sit down with a different creative from University City to discuss a wide range of topics and themes, exploring what it means to be a creative, what creativity can look like on a day-to-day basis and the role that University City’s rich culture plays in influencing visionaries and ideation.&nbsp;

Meet the Hosts:

Boris “Bluz” Rogers is an Emmy Award-winning and three-time National Poetry Slam Champion poet. Channeling human experience into words, Bluz poetry is universal, reaching into the hearts of all. Bluz is also an incredible Voice-over talent who has worked with the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, The National Museum of African American Music, and ESPN. Bluz has shared the stage with many distinguished poets and artists ranging from Nikki Giovanni to Outkast and, most recently, Freestyle Love Supreme. Constantly looking for the next innovative idea and the next creative project, Bluz is always ready to lend his talent and share his passion for entertaining and inspiring the world. Find Bluz online by following @bluzbluzbluz on Instagram and TikTok.

Junious “Jay” Ward is a poet living in Charlotte, NC, and the author of Sing Me a Lesser Wound (Bull City Press) and Composition (Button Poetry). Jay is a National Poetry Slam champion, Individual World Poetry Slam champion, and Charlotte’s inaugural Poet Laureate. His poems can be found in Four Way Review, DIAGRAM, Columbia Journal, The Amistad, Diode Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. Find Jay online at jwardpoetry.com or follow @charlotte_poet on Instagram.&nbsp;

Hannah Hasan is an award-winning master storyteller, spoken word poet, author, playwright, and creative facilitator who believes that our stories will set us free. She’s built an impressive and impactful career centered around using the arts of the written and spoken word to inspire, inform, educate, and empower audiences in her home state of North Carolina and throughout the United States. Hannah’s work centers around themes of home, social justice, racial justice, women's rights, and more. Find Hannah online at hannahhasan.com or follow @iamhannahhasan on Instagram and TikTok and @hannahhasan on Facebook.

Share Story Telling

Sign up to save your podcasts

Story Telling

Story Telling