WCOM 103.5 Launches “the hearth radio hour”

WCOM-lp 103.5 Carrboro’s Local Radio Station Introduces

“the hearth radio hour” – A Weekly Poetry Showcase

A New Program Focusing on Poetry Readings and Discussions

WCOM 103.5, Carrboro’s local radio station, is proud to announce the debut of “the hearth radio hour,” a new weekly one-hour program dedicated to the world of poetry. Hosted by Emily Shearer, a published poet and multifaceted artist, the show promises to captivate audiences with its unique blend of poetry readings, discussions, and musical performances. “the hearth radio hour” airs weekly, offering a consistent dose of poetic content for the community.

Emily Shearer, host of “the hearth radio hour”

Emily Shearer brings her diverse background as a poet, naïf intuitive artiste, yoga instructor, Reiki master, and Independent Chaos Witch to the program, creating a rich and engaging listening experience. The show features readings of both Shearer’s own poetry and that of other poets, along with interviews with poets and creatives. Listeners can expect seasonally themed episodes, in-depth explorations of various poets and poetic forms, and thoughtful discussions on the significance of poetry in contemporary culture.

By providing a platform for poetry and creative expression, “the hearth radio hour” aims to enrich the cultural landscape of Carrboro and beyond. The program invites listeners to tune in weekly for new episodes, promising to make poetry accessible and enjoyable for both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike. As the community tunes in, WCOM 103.5 is set to become a hub for poetry lovers in the region.

About Emily Shearer’s Poetry Platform

Emily Shearer is a multifaceted artist and practitioner, combining her roles as a published poet, naïf intuitive artiste, yoga instructor, Reiki master, and Independent Chaos Witch to create a unique blend of artistic expression and spiritual exploration. Her work encompasses poetry, interviews with creatives, and discussions about the significance of poetry.

The Hearth Poetry Hour Mission Statement

Poetry. . .lights the fire and keeps watch over the flame.

Believe me, this is where you get warm again.

-Poet and Critic C.D. Wright

The Hearth Poetry Hour fosters reverence to the sacred and audible art form of poetry. The program reminds listeners that, in the word hearth can be found the words hear, art, earth and heart. The Hearth Poetry Hour elevates voices of wisdom, diverse experience and cultural significance. The Hearth Poetry Hour extends what it means to “hear art”.  The Hearth and its host, Emily Shearer provides quality radio programming that lifts up beauty in the world through the power of poetry.

• Poetry bridges mind and soul. Words can forge human connections, offer solace and emotional resonance, distill complexities and elevate the human experience to one of spiritual meaning. Poetry asks unanswerable questions, then answers them anyway by binding to language that which otherwise is exiled to the ether of the unsaid.
• The cornerstones of our programming are these four dimensions: hear, art, earth and heart. We focus on the musicality of lyric poetry, the poetry of modern music, the timeli- and timeless-ness of honoring our planet, and the oneness of all beings.
• The Hearth Poetry Hour welcomes the political, the controversial, the unpopular or the unexplained so long as they are expressed poetically, thoughtfully and reasonably.
• What it means to “hear art” encompasses music, spoken word, story, puns, prose poetry and discussions about visual art. Host and guests will weave in all of the above to provide a variety of content in each one-hour segment.
• The Hearth Poetry Hour is designed with consistency of listenership in mind. From week to week, content will refer back to past episodes and build onto ones in the future. As such, we believe poets are shaped and appreciation skills are developed.
• The Hearth Poetry Hour and its host, Emily Shearer believe that poets and poetry are necessary ride-or-dies in the passenger seat of life, trusted to muster words compelling, soothing, disturbing and/or wondrous enough to link hearing to art to earth to heart. Come to the hearth. This is where we get warm again.
  

  September 26, 2025	10 am – 11:00 am EST	Emily Shearer
  		emilyinprague@gmail.com
  		firedog.thehearth@gmail.com

The Hearth Poetry Hour includes a weekly email component called “FireDogs.” Firedogs are accessories that hold logs in position inside the fireplace. In the final minutes of the broadcast, Shearer will offer a poetry prompt, based on the discussion of the preceding program. Listeners are invited to send their own poems to the email address firedog.thehearth@gmail.com. All entries will be read during the following show.

Emily Shearer is a writer, naïf intuitive artiste, yoga instructor, Reiki master, and Independent Chaos Witch. Her poems have been nominated for Pushcarts and “Best of”’s, and published in Kestrel, ellipsis, Silk Road Review, Fiolet & Wing, emry’s journal online, psaltery & lyre, West Texas Literary Review, Clockhouse and Ruminate, among others. She is the former Poetry Editor of Minerva Rising and currently offers her editorial and retreat services at Wide Open Writing.

She hosts the weekly radio show “the hearth poetry hour” on Carrboro radio WCOM 103.5 and the monthly poetry open mic series, “Chime In” in Cary.  She is a novice practicing Chaos Witch who can talk to animals, command elements, help you find lost objects and cast a spell in your morning coffee, all between the hours of 10 and 11 am, eastern time on Friday mornings! You can find a complete list of her publications and samples of her work on the web at bohemilywrites.net.