Hopkinton through POETRY
December 8th, 2020
We would like to say a big thank you to all of you for being part of our Virtual Book Launch last Friday, December 4th, 7-8:30 pm at HCAM-TV, and making our evening memorable!
We had some of our contributors coming from their own homes to share their thoughts and experiences in response to our call for hope. The flow of hearing each of the participants in succession was such a powerful line-up addressing HOPE's topic.
If you missed our virtual event, you can watch it below.
The event was a celebration of a book of HOPE that has been written by community members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To order a copy of our book, please click HERE.
Thank you very much!
With deep gratitude,
Cynthia Franca and Cheryl Perreault
The editors of Hope through Community book
Thank you to the contributor, Carla Schwartz, for taking a screenshot and sharing it with us!
Call for Poetry & Story 2020
October 28th, 2020
Hopkinton residents Cynthia Franca and Cheryl Perreault feel that with all challenges that people face in this year of 2020, the timing is right to announce the release of their collaborative anthology project, Hope through Community. The project got started six months ago when Franca and Perreault decided to create a book offering a collection of writings about how people experience hope during this year of pandemic and quarantine. They put a call out to poets, songwriters, and other wordsmiths of the community, asking for poems and stories about hope.
The editors found people's responses diverse and powerful. People wrote about facing current times and struggles of the pandemic and addressed other topics of life challenges.
The compilation of these writings offers a unique, multiperspective, and uplifting collection of poems and stories by 72 writers of differing ages, life experiences, and communities. Locations of participants ranged from as close as the MetroWest area of Massachusetts and Africa, Australia, and outer space (a poet from California who has had one of his poems sent into space by NASA).
The anthology also includes photos of "The Front Steps Project," where three photographers share photos of families posing in front of their homes during the pandemic/quarantine time.
As a whole, the book offers stories, poems, images, humor, wisdom, and a whole host of other felt emotional and experiential offerings from the people for the people facing these times of global pandemic. In these days of limited social interaction, Franca and Perreault believe this book is like inviting 72 writers into the reader's home to gather round to tell stories, show photos, and share poems about what got them through, which might help to uplift and get us all through the hard times of this year and future challenges as well.
The editors are planning to organize a Virtual Poetry Launch in partnership with HCAM-TV in November.
Hope Through Community is $20 and available for purchase at our website and Hopkinton Drug located at 52 Main Street in Hopkinton, MA.
All proceeds earned for book sales will be donated to charitable organizations assisting with hunger, including Project Just Because in Hopkinton, Feeding America, and Action Against Hunger.
Compiled by Authors Cynthia Franca and Cheryl Perreault of Hopkinton, MA
Designed by Cynthia Franca and Lisa Breslow Thompson
Featuring Photographers Tom Sloan (cover), Chelsea Bradway, Lynne Damianos, and Christine Strickland
Published by Damianos Publishing (October 28, 2020)
Paperback, 160 pages, 21 photographs
6 x 9", $20.00, ISBN 9781941573334
Cynthia Franca and Cheryl Perreault Announce the New Book
Hope through Community: Words and Images in Response to a Global Pandemic
(Updated in June 3rd, 2020)
Dear Friends and Writers,
The Submissions of Poetry and Stories for the Project Hopkinton & Beyond - Words of Hope That Connect Us in Challenging Times are now CLOSED!
We received more than 120 submissions for the Project!
Submissions will be posted on our website and also be considered for inclusion in our anthology that will be published by Damianos Publishing.
We will be sending notices about the status of submissions by the end of June.
Thank you so much for being part of this Project!
Virtual Hugs,
Cheryl Perreault and Cynthia Franca
Coordinators of Hopkinton & Beyond- Words of Hope that Connect Us in Challenging Times Project
(May 9th, 2020)
Dear Friends,
These past months have been quite a challenging time for our community, our country, and our world.
We believe that our words of poetry and story, when shared, can serve to empower and uplift us.
Therefore, we would like to invite the community to submit poems and stories for a new project to promote community resilience and uplift.
Announcing "Hopkinton & Beyond - Words of Hope that Connect Us in Challenging Times."
This project will invite those interested to submit original poetry as well as your true stories (up to 500 words) by residents and friends of Hopkinton.
You are welcome to invite your friends from near and far to submit as well.
We are asking for submissions of poems and stories that offer hope and reinforce the feeling of resilience and optimism among us in contrast to so much bad news.
All poems and true stories submitted will be reviewed and selected for possible airing/publishing on this website and on HCAM-TV (located in Hopkinton, MA).
We will follow-up with details to get these poems and stories for consideration of later compiling for an "Anthology of Hope" we would like to eventually create.
We are living in a unique time in our history. We would like to use the project to help lift spirits as one community with words of hope that can be shared from our home and Cable TV Station in Hopkinton and out to the world beyond as well. We have already received a submission from Australia.
Consider making submission as a community member and perhaps also invite a friend from near or far (another country!) to present words of hope as a global community.
Please send submissions via email to hopkintongenerationbook@gmail.com
Virtual Hugs,
Cheryl Perreault and Cynthia Franca
Coordinators of Hopkinton & Beyond- Words of Hope that Connect Us in Challenging Times Project
*Submission Guidelines
Theme: "Words of Hope that Connect and Inspire Us"
Please, submit by May 31st, 2020. We need hope to uplift our spirits!
1-3 poems can be submitted
Or submit a true story from life experience or observation that offers hope.
Poems and stories should be written and the file(s) should be sent to email hopkintongenerationbook@gmail.com, with the subject: Hopkinton – Words of Hope.
We may request a filmed reading from you in the future to be airing.
Please also include your name and a sentence or two about yourself and why you are sharing this particular poem or story.
Submissions will be considered for inclusion in a published anthology.
Submissions will be considered for sharing and inspiring community viewers near and far on our website www.hopkintonthroughpoetrybook.com,
Submissions will also be considered for posting on HCAM-TV programming, and social media.
I understand that, in submitting my work, it may be selected for publication in "Hopkinton & Beyond - Words of Hope that Connect Us in Challenging Times project". In submitting my work, I attest that the work I am submitting is my own work original and not published anywhere else and I hold the rights to this work.