Join us in conversation with Chicago-based musician Dr. Charles Joseph Smith as he discusses his life and work, and the foundational importance of DIY as a sociocultural refuge for artists and creators of all stripes. In his self-published autobiography, The 88 Keys that Opened Doors, Charles chronicles a life in which music has been the primary key to overcoming immense challenges posed by Autism Spectrum Disorder. This Autism Awareness Month, Chicago indie label Sooper Records will release the first retrospective collection of Charles’s work, a 90-minute album titled Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts. This is the definitive collection of his original recordings — though it would be impossible to ever encompass the galaxies of music, poetry, and prose penned by the prolific Charles Joseph Smith. Plus, Sooper is making his autobiography widely available for the first time to coincide with the release. Stick around after the conversation as Charles plays a few songs off the album.

• Sooper Records will be on site selling copies of Charles's autobiography, The 88 Keys that Opened Doors, and his album Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts.
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