The Shawna Foundation’s Shivering Mouse Open Mic @ Gray Rock Pocket Forest featuring Joanne Johnson

The first of a three-part series, the Shawna Foundation’s Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon hosts a poetry reading, author Q & A, and Open Mic from 3:00pm at Gray Rock Pocket Forest. Joanne Johnson is this part’s feature. Next installments expected April and August 2027.

The spoken word events are hosted by Art DuBois, the Shawna Foundation’s Program Director, and follows a format patterned after the Foundation’s monthly Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon, with a featured poet, an audience Q&A with the poet, and an open mic segment that invites anyone in attendance, poet or not, to take part. All three 2026–2027 gatherings are free, open to the public, rain or shine, with no RSVP required. Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs.

“There’s something different about hearing a poem read aloud inside the Gray Rock Pocket Forest instead of a living room, a hall, or a bookstore,” said Anna Chinappi, President and Founder of the Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation. “Our goal is to bring the spirit of our Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon outdoors, into a place our community already loves.”

About the Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation

The Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation, Inc.’s mission is to advance the arts and education, supporting the community through scholarships, poetry programs, and film festival work that reaches audiences worldwide. That mission includes inviting everyone to take part in the arts, a goal Poetry in the Park at Gray Rock puts into practice through its open mic segment.

Media Contact

Anna Chinappi, President & Founder

Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation, Inc.

annachinappi@gmail.com | 508-847-5419