Mike the PoeT profile picture

Mike the PoeT

TEACH LOVE & WORK WITH URGENCY!

About Me

Mike The Poet sings the flatlands and the mean streets. In the City of Quartz, he is his generation's Walt Whitman.... --- Mike Davis+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Mike Sonksen aka Mike the PoeT is a Poet Journalist Historian.. 3rd generation LA native... --------------------------------------------------------I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES!AVAILABLE @ indie bookstores in LA like Imix Books, Skylight Books, Vromans, Crewest, Museum of Neon Art, Archrivals in Little Tokyo..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---- I Am Alive in Los Angeles by Mike the Poet (iUniverse.com, $13.95) is a freefall through the labyrinth that is Los Angeles. In love with words for words' sake, Mike the Poet hurls them at you with great precision and with moments of humor and insight that explode in your heart like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Although he sees something good in everything Southern Cali--from gangs to the fashion industry-- and loves the city so much he can wax poetic about an area code (562), a street (Wilshire Blvd.), or even overpopulation ("Density"), this young third generation Los Angeleno is no blissed-out urban romantic. His epic of epics is "L.A. Love and War" and he leaves no doubt whose side he's on as he delineates the battlefront: "People wanna settle the score/Between the haves and the have nots/Country clubs and crooked cops/Range rovers & bus stops." And music ("Make some motherfuckin' noise!") is everywhere, not just in the chapter called "Nothin' Matters But the Music." Musicians are a big part of the dazzling "LA Authors," a list of "Great LA Albums" ranges from David Axelrod to N.W.A., and, above all, music's in the variety of the groove that makes people move in almost every poem. A great and needed antidote to all the glib, know-nothing LA-haters worldwide. -----------~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~&&&&&&&am p;&&&&&&&&&......******* ***$$$$$$The appeal of I Am Alive in Los Angeles is its effortlessness. Its political without telling you to wear a badge or jump on any bandwagon and its funny wihout the neon-colored punchlines. All lovers of intricate wordplay, add this to your list. ---Straight No Chaser...................................................... ...........+++++++++++++++++ MIKE THE POET Mike Sonksen, also known as, Mike the Poet, is a Los Angeles-based writer spoken word poet, widely acclaimed for his live performances, contributions to international publications & legendary city tours. For over a decade, Mike has performed at numerous venueS: bookstores, museums, nightclubs, art galleries. From the page to the stage his work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, Kotori, Anthem, L.A. Weekly, L.A. Citybeat, L.A. Alternative Press, O.C. Weekly, Long Beach Business Journal. Mike's energy was instrumental as co-founder of the webzine Getunderground.com. & the last 4 years with Jointz magazine. His poem "I've Seen the Best Minds of My Generation, was licensed by Scion.Mike's book "I Am Alive in Los Angeles!" captures the energy of the City of Angels. The CD of the same name was given 4 Stars by URB Magazine.. Over the last decade Mike has also become known for his L.A. City Tours. As a 3rd generation LA native, his tours of Hollywood with Red Line Tours & the Museum of Neon Art incorporate poetry & L.A. history.---------------------------------------------------- --------------------------+++++++++ ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------This cat has the ability to not only speak as a poets poet- in metaphors, cadence, and description- but also articulate the smells, touch, and taste of the world around him in such a fundamental manner you leave the listening session excited about re-touching life. Get re-inspired about existence in L.A.! Viva Mike the Poet! ---Raashan Ahmad (Emcee, Crown City Rockers)...... ............. ......... ......................................... --------------------------------------------------------**** ********* FOR BOOKING INFO SEND ME A MESSAGE OR EMAIL!! [email protected]+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++"I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES!"___________________________________________________ __________________ "DENSITY"

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/18/2004
Band Website: amazon.com/I-am-Alive-Los-Angeles/dp/05
Band Members: Poets of the RoundtabLe: Mike the POeT, PhiLLharmoniC, BesskePP, Blackbird, Emi. M, Mear One, Sarah Cruse, Busstop Prophet, Ladon 7, Stricke9, DJ Dave, J Sole, Tone Tec, Dr. Gray, Megan J., A.K. TONEY..
Influences: God, LOS ANGELES, Walt Whitman, COMMON, Jack Kerouac, Mike Davis, BJork, Fela Kuti, Roni Size, Ginsberg, Baldwin, BLACKBIRD, MEAR ONE, SUBLIME, Saul Williams, Phillip Martin, Cream, BESSKEPP, Jim Carroll, Emily Wells, Platinum Pied Pipers, Connie Price & the Keystones, DJ Shadow, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Coltrane, The Rebirth, Breakestra, Steinbeck, Carey McWilliams, Nelson Algren, Mos Def, Billie Holiday, Esther Phillips, Erykah Badu, LANGSTON HUGHES, LIZZ FIELDS, ROCKY DAWUNI, DJ RAIN, RADIOHEAD, VISIONARIES, Jill Scott, LMNO, CROWN CITY ROCKERS, WILLIAM BLAKE, LEWIS MACADAMS, Stereolab, Morrissey, Wyatt Case, Haul & Mason, The Dears, White Stripes, Jeff Buckley, DJ DusK, Josh One, Louis Adamic, Tom Wolfe, Ishmael Reed, Chester Himes, Elliot Smith, Megan Jacobs, Damon Aaron, FROHAWK TWO-FEATHERS, Lyrics Born, Jeremy Ellis, BIGGIE, CHAVEZ RAVINE, FROGTOWN, LEIMERT PARK, LONG BEACH, EAST LA, iMAGISTS MOVEMENT, BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT, BEAT POETS, STEVIE WONDER, GIL SCOTT HERON, ROY AYERS, FRANK GEHRY...
Record Label: Kajmere Sound
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Roy Ayers

ROY AYERS Roy Ayers makes music so transcendent that it can instantly make a bad day better. His soul-jazz grooves are so chunky that he is the second most sampled man in hip-hop history behind only ...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:54:00 PST

PASADENA WEEKLY Article on Me...

Nobody knows what's true anymore Mike the PoeT's spirited rhymes celebrate LA while questioning where our culture is headed By Bliss 07/17/2008   First, there's the word. Then there's the wor...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:38:00 PST

HOW MANY WRITERS HAVE YOU HELPED TODAY?

REVIEW of VIEWS FROM VIEW PARK (POETRY BOOK by MY CREATIVE WRITING STUDENTS) HOW MANY WRITERS HAVE YOU HELPED TODAY? BY LEE BALLINGER           Everyday we are give...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:26:00 PST

LONG BEACH BLUES

Langston Hughes wrote THE WEARY BLUES, Kerouac wrote MEXICO CITY BLUES.. Blues poems are slung quick, strong & hard. Blowing about the topic thru a series of riffs & rhythmic p...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Sun, 25 May 2008 10:15:00 PST

LMNO & THE GROUCH

LMNO & KEV BROWN "Selective Hearing" UP ABOVE     This record is what happens when two purists connect in the name of soul music. Through his work with the Visionaries and as a solo ar...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Sun, 25 May 2008 10:02:00 PST

NOBODY KNOWS WHATS TRUE ANYMORE!

NOBODY KNOWS WHATS TRUE ANYMORE.. Nobody knows what's true anymore Put in your tell all memoir Throw in some guns, sex & drugs You just might get an agent Identity theft & false representatio...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Tue, 13 May 2008 10:55:00 PST

Paper DoLL

PAPER DOLL   Paper Doll She is undeniable She is beautiful.. Life’s freshest essence a field of wild flowers, tumultous like the ocean, crescendos & crashing waves. Birds, bees &am...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:39:00 PST

Right about now...

  "What it comes down to is that I am the rebel-radical I have always been (for reasons I have never fully understood) and that I still take a generous view of the future and remain basically an...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:22:00 PST

Besskepp wrote this in my journal...

Besskepp wrote this in my journal...   WE ARE THE ONES MARCH 23... LIKE JORDAN & LEBRON WE "08" LIKE CORNFLAKES & BANANAS LOST SOULS GOT BANANAS & CARROT CAKE MIKE THE POET IS A HEAVY...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:05:00 PST

LATCH KEY KID CHRONICLES

  LATCH KEY KID CHRONICLES   A poem about youth childhood truth children of chaos parents divorced mom’s at work Dad’s gone, 1984 Reagan, Dynasty & Dallas closing mental hos...
Posted by Mike the PoeT on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:58:00 PST