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-Mike hosts 'LAnguage' monthly at The Last Bookstore in downtown LA. MORE
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About Mike Sonksen
Mike Sonksen, also known as Mike the Poet, is a 3rd-generation LA native acclaimed for poetry performances, published articles & legendary city tours. Poet, journalist, historian, tour guide, & teacher, he first graduated from UCLA, then completed an Interdisciplinary M.A. in English & History from the Cal State LA. Sonksen has lectured at & had his book I AM ALIVE IN LOS ANGELES! added to the curriculum of over 60 universities & high schools.
”Mike the Poet sings the history, people, dreams, and even shadows of LA city, one of the most seen and filmed cities of the world, yet little known or understood. His poems are instant pop-and-crackle chronicles, more news than the 11 PM news hour, yet they are also jack-hammer words crashing onto concrete walkways, the palm-drenched horizon through smog-laden sky, the truth that dares to include everyone. What everyone forgets, Mike the Poet remembers.”
—Luis J. Rodriguez, writer/poet/activist, author of “Always Running” and “The Republic of East LA.”
"Mike The Poet sings the flatlands and the mean streets. In the City of Quartz, he is his generation's Walt Whitman.”
-Mike Davis, Author, City of Quartz
"Mike Sonksen... has been a fixture of the local poetry scene and a steady selling author in our store for years now... I still remember the first time i saw him perform at a speaking engagement for Mike Davis at USC. What was supposed to be an open-mic for questions directed to Mr. Davis became the improptu stage for Mr. Sonksen as he spent nearly 10 minutes engaging the audience with his epic ode to all things Los Angeles.
There are maybe two or three other LA poets i know of who can hold an audience captive the way I've seen Mike do it; S.A.Griffin, Eric Brown, Wanda Coleman, and Steve Abee come to mind as other local heroes I've seen who exhibit the same kind of enthusiasm, dedication to the written word, and love of LA that one sees in Mike. In a city that is historically known for chewing up and spitting out its most talented sons (Mike Davis documents the extent of this problem in his first book, City of Quartz), I have high hopes that MikethePoet will go on to be one of those rare individuals who will carry on the great (if lesser known) tradition of passion for LA in literature and performance that can be traced back through John Thomas, Charles Bukowski and the Beats."
Charles Hauther, Buyer Skylight Books, Los Angeles
From the moment Mike Sonksen walked into the Museum of Neon Art, I sensed an energetic and creative individual. After hearing his CD of spoken-word poetry, "I'm Alive in Los Angeles," I knew he would be the best poet/performer for a new neon tour that we were formulating. Mike's passionate, youthful style, and Native knowledge of Los Angeles is the magic that has made the tour popular with both the younger and older generations seeking a unique "underground" LA experience. His is a new voice nurtured by his studies of the writers about LA who have preceded him combined with the spoken-word performance style of today. It is a pleasure working with Mike and I am in full support of all of his creative endeavors. He is a total positive package!
-Kim Koga, Director, Museum of Neon Art
For the second year in a row (Aug. 2016), Mike has a banner in West Hollywood for the Lamppost Project. (See the Photo Here.)
A selection of Mike's haikus were published & made into graphics as a part of Grand Park. (See a Photo Here.)
CONTENT: (c)1997-2017 Mike Sonksen. DESIGN: (c)2012-2017 Grid Assembly/Grid BLDR.