If you open your mouth and the AAWW is around, will you make a sound? Will these sounds make sense? Will they make a story? You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers at our open to the public open mic series. This week we welcome poet and first time novelist, Juliet S. Kono, whose latest novel, Anshu: Dark Sorrow follows an unmarried Hilo teenager, Himiko Aoki, from the cane fields of Hawai’i to Tokyo during the bombing of Hiroshima, stand-up comedian Negin Farsad, Fred Chao, and others! Come to find out the winner to our Members’ Choice Award.

Juliet S. Kono is the author of two books of poetry, a short story collection, Ho’olulu Park and the Pepsodent Smile, and a children’s book, The Bravest ‘Opihi. The recipient of several awards, including the US/Japan Friendship Commission Creative Artist Exchange Fellowship, she has been anthologized widely, most recently in Imagine What It’s Like: A Literature and Medicine Anthology. In 2006, she won the Hawai’i Award for Literature. Born and raised in Hilo, Hawai’i, she now lives in Honolulu with her husband and teaches composition and creative writing at Leeward Community College.

Negin Farsad is a comedian who’s written and performed for Comedy Central, MTV, IFC and PBS. She has performed standup all over the country, opening for the likes of (Senator) Al Franken in venues ranging from the Comedy Store in Los Angeles to Town Hall on Broadway. She’s also the director/producer of current feature film release, “Nerdcore Rising.”

Fred Chao is the writer/artist of the graphic novel Johnny Hiro {half asian, all hero}. An excerpt of the book was included in The Best American Comics 2010. His comics have also been included in the anthology Found: Requiem For A Paper Bag.

$5 suggested donation. This event is open to the public.

Sign up at 7:30pm for a 5-minute slot.