CIUT Howl Open Mic is a monthly poetry/spoken word open mic feature hosted by Valentino Assenza, airing the last Tuesday of every month on CUIT 89.5 FM. New, emerging and established poets are invited to submit their self-recorded poetry and spoken word pieces, to be aired during the hour-long show.

This is how it works

You pre-record your poetry or spoken word submission. You send it to the radio show host of Howl Open Mic via email. If your piece is chosen, it will be played on the radio during Valentino’s show, on the last Tuesday of the month on CIUT 89.5 FM. This station can be heard from Barrie to Buffalo, Kitchener to Cobourg, and throughout southwestern Ontario.

Submission guidelines

• Record a poem or suite of poems in MP3 or m4a format – .wav files preferred. Please be sure to include your name (or your poet name) at the beginning of your recording, as well as the title of your piece. Please also use the title of your piece as the file name for your submission.
• Total length of your submission must be 5 minutes maximum, whether in one recording or cumulatively among a series of recordings.
• Email your submission to howl@ciut.fm no later than the Wednesday before the last Tuesday of the month (they may have to cap it before then, depending on the number of submissions). In the subject line, please include “(Month of the year) Howl Open Mic”.
• Choices will be made based on considerations of time length (see second bullet above) and content.

Tell your friends –

Valentino looks forward to hearing your work!

About CIUT Howl

CIUT Howl is a weekly radio show airing on CIUT 89.5 FM on Tuesday nights from 10:00 to 11:00 PM ET. Hosted by Valentino Assenza, the show features interviews with, plus readings and music from, authors, poets, scriptwriters, playwrights and songwriters – including local artists and literary icons. On the last Tuesday of every month, they host an on-air poetry open mic, featuring previously self-recorded pieces submitted by poets/spoken word artists.

About Valentino Assenza

Based in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA), Valentino Assenza has been a published poet and performing spoken word artist for over two decades. During that time, he’s released four chapbooks and performed all over Canada and the U.S., including as a member of the Toronto Poetry Slam Team (slam is a competitive poetry event, performed in front of a live audience and a panel of judges). He’s been a co-host and co-producer of HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM since 2015, where he’s interviewed such notables as George Elliott Clarke, Anne Michaels, Denise Donlon, Ron Sexsmith and Margaret Atwood, among others. In 2019, he released Through Painted Eyes, his first full-length poetry collection, published by Piquant Press.

About CIUT 89.5 FM

CIUT 89.5 FM is a non-profit, University of Toronto-based campus and community radio station. In operation since 1987, and under the leadership of industry professionals, its staff of creative and engaged volunteers creates music, news, political commentary, business insights and arts & culture programming that reflects the rich, dynamic and diverse city it calls home. On air 24/7 all year round, CIUT embraces inclusion and socially relevant content, producing culturally rich and current programming that both fascinates and challenges as it entertains and educates. They also provide technical and professional training and mentorship in radio broadcasting and podcasting for student and community volunteers.

From dynamic and eclectic morning shows, multicultural to mainstream music, to edgy political commentary, business insight programming and straight up wonky and wonderful radio you simply won’t hear anywhere else, CIUT is a true original in a sea of sameness. – CIUT 89.5 FM

(Photo credits: CIUT 89.5 FM)

 

Event details

Hosted by: CIUT Howl on CIUT 89.5 FM

Type of event: poetry open mic (self-recorded submissions for radio broadcast)

Host: Valentino Assenza

Date: Last Tuesday of every month, with submission recordings due the Wednesday before. (For example, if the air date is Tuesday, July 25, 2023 – submission deadline is Wednesday, July 19, 2023.)

Start time: Air time 10:00 PM ET

Duration: 1 hour

Cost: Free

Location: On air at CIUT 89.5 FM. Listen live via broadcast radio from Barrie to Buffalo, Kitchener to Cobourg, and throughout southwestern Ontario, or at ciut.fm/shows/howl.

Contact Details: CIUT Howl, howl@ciut.fm, ciut.fm/shows/howl, mailing address: 89.5 Tower Road, 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5S 0A2, Canada.

 

Content warning: May include adult themes and strong language, as well as triggering subject matter.