100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE
A Global Event created by Founder Michael Rothenberg (see below) is growing at a rapid rate daily. The poets of 265 Cities and 59 Countries across the globe are enthusiastically gathering, planning and writing to speak about "Change".
An event such as this is history in the making; Stanford University is now committed to archiving it's progress through the main website: http://www.100tpc.org
Poetry is the catalyst. It inspires creative solution. Poetry can only speak truth. It is based in love and compassion for every living thing that has inherited the Breath of Life. ~Yvonne de la Vega
LOS ANGELES POETRY FOR CHANGE ORGANIZERS CONTACT: losangelespoetsforchange@gmail.com
What is an L.A. Poet?
To define the outstanding persona and quest of the L.A. poet would entail a recalling of the history of the city itself.
Los Angeles is rich with stories of an untold history, stories that tell of the humanistic aspect of plight in regard to oppression, racism and the slow progress of change. These social conditions are the very soil and social fertilization that cultivates the prophetic expression that only the poet can deliver.
If you study the rise of the Los Angeles Boosters, and the violence it took to create this mecca in a dry desert wasteland, there’s no wonder that film noir originated here. Go even further back to during the war between the United States and Mexico in 1846. Los Angeles was occupied by an American garrison, but the citizens drove the fifty-man brigade out of town.
Because of the city's history, Johnston McCully recreated the early days of Los Angeles finding it to be the perfect place from where his fictional hero "Zorro" arose, a hero and legend that fought in defense of whom? THE PEOPLE!
All in all, poets fight the Good Fight, and the Los Angeles poet is one that uniquely bonds to his fellow poet. There is love, honor and camaraderie between them. So now, with this history in mind, add the demographic of Los Angeles as the entertainment capital of the world, and not only do you get a voice that calls for Change, but also one that is also delivered with stage presence, charisma, and a delivery that is convincing and entertaining.
Los Angeles poets know, or know of one another and have for decades. Most have helped others with the organization of an event, sometimes supporting without having to be on the bill. This support and cameraderie is rooted in the love and for the sake of the Spoken Word. This is just one of the beautiful things about the Los Angeles poet.
Charles Bukowski stands out in our minds amongst the best poets of modern poetry. He wasn’t really one of the Beat Poets, although his readers like to romantically place him amongst them. Hank was different, he spoke with a rolling realism and a subtle humor beneath every bottom line and the difference between Bukowski and the Beats is, Charles Bukowski was an L.A. poet full on, full out, through and through. It is his realism and sincerity, however cynical, that has attracted many to his poetry and short stories. Of course... he was an L.A. Poet. LA POETS UNITE!
On September 24, a global grassroots event titled, 100 Thousand Poets For Change will take place in more than 245 cities and 55 countries worldwide. It’s going to be a definitive day for all of humankind and history in the making. Many topics of change and the need for change will be presented from the voices of the people, represented by the voice of humankind: the poets.
In Los Angeles, each organizer will host a one and a half hour poetry reading. The readings will be hosted back to back from noon to midnight. – There will be four booked bands featured before each quarter of the event. The L.A. poet organizers of The Los Angeles Poets For Change are:
Michael Rothenberg - Founder of 100 Thousand Poets For Change. A poet, songwriter, editor and publisher of Big Bridge. With Michael’s vision, poets of the world are coming together for the first time in history! In Los Angeles, some of the finest poets of the city will speak to our brothers and sisters, our children, our neighbors and especially to our Nation’s Leaders.
Yvonne de la Vega - Event Coordinator of The Los Angeles Poets For Change. Yvonne is known as a poet/recording artist with numerous spoken word and music tracks collaborated with several “greats’ in the music world. She created WORDBEAT Radio, a podcast that poets called in to share their works, while de la Vega and co-host John Barrymore and Milo Martin deejay jazz in an improvisation and LIVE delivery. www.yvonnedelavega.com
Poetri Smith – “To regard Tony Award winner POETRI as just a poet would be underestimating his abilities. As a writer/producer, he has worked on “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam” on HBO and Broadway, for which he was a featured player as a prominent Def Poet...” (from www.Poetri.com - read more)
Milo Martin – Creator of The Overhead Projector Series of the legendary ONYX Readings. Two-time Slam Champion Winner with The Hollywood Slam Team, Poetry Editor at TheNervousBreakdown.com, and DJ Host of WordBeat Radio. Milo is a street poet with a Masters Degree in Poetry from UCLA. His book “Poems for The Utopian Nihilist” is one filled with finely channelled poems in a unique and honest voice that always finds the good in every observation, transposed by the well traveled poet and nuance archivist that Milo Martin is.
Mike The Poet Sonsken- Co-founder Getunderground.com. & Jointz Magazine. Famous for his L.A. City Tours. As a third generation L.A. native. His tours of Hollywood with Red Line Tours & the Museum of Neon Art incorporate poetry & L.A. history. Also, host of the readings at Stella Adler Conservatory in Hollywood. His book of poetry, “I Am Alive In Los Angeles” is used in many of the curriculums of High Schools and Universities around Southern California.
Jessica M. Wilson – Los Angeles Poet and Writer, founder of the Los Angeles Poet Society, the downtown Art Walk’s Writers’ Row, and also the SoapBox Poets, which is a group consisting of writers, musicians, and artists that enjoy delivering their work in the raw to the masses.
Douglas Steindorff – Ex-Marine and poet who will host a group of ex-military writers. They will speak on topics ranging from from the flawed and unfair judicial system to police brutality. His line- up to date includes poets; Steve Abee, Dennis Cruz, and banned UK writer, comic, filmaker and activist, Paul Gallagher
Christian Elder – Organizer of the Lollapalooza Poetry Slams. Producer and co-host of the seminal LA poetry series, SpokenHeard with LA Poet Mauro Monteiro and The LA Speak Easy with Nelson Gary Author “Twin Volumes” on Ethelrod Press. Christian has long been dedicating himself to the recognition of the Los Angeles poetry scene’s most distinctive voices.
Visit the Events page for Los Angeles Poets For Change on Facebook
Do you want to join other poets around the USA and across the planet in a demonstration/celebration of poetry to promote serious social, environmental, and political change? 100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE is organizing a global event for September 24, 2011. If you think you would like to participate or organize your own event, please sign up on Facebook or contact 100 Thousand Poets for Change at walterblue@bigbridge.org.
“The L.A. Spoken Photograph” by Christian Elder (pictured)
“The LA Spoken photograph was inspired by a terrific documentary called “A Great Day in Harlem”, which is a documentary that was about a day when several great jazz musicians gathered to pose for one photograph on a stoop in Harlem, New York. Guys like Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Mingus, all the greats basically. As I was watching it in my tiny apartment in Hollywood, I couldn’t help thinking that this same idea could theoretically apply to the LA poetry community. So I started putting the wheels in motion, assembled a team and produced the event. And as far as gathering the participants, I made so many contacts running the Lollapalooza slams that all I needed to do was open my phone book and get on the horn. But the idea truly took on a life of its own, people gravitated to it; I was merely a conduit. What I’m really proud of is that I helped bring together a wildly diverse group of spoken word artists ranging from Ellyn Maybe, to Dr. Mongo, Larry Hankin, The Carma Bums, the late Merilene Murphy, and the legendary Watts Prophets.” - Christian Elder (read more)
100 POETS FOR CHANGE was founded by Michael Rothenberg
Michael Rothenberg is a poet, songwriter, editor and publisher of Big Bridge,www.bigbridge.org and founder of the global poetry initiative 100 Thousand Poets for Change. His poems have been widely published in literary reviews, including: Berkeley Poetry Review, Exquisite Corpse, Fulcrum, Golden Handcuffs Review, Jacket, OR, Prague Literary Review, Tricycle, and Zyzzyva. His poetry books include Man/Women. A collaboration with Joanne Kyger, The Paris Journals (Fish Drum Press), Monk Daddy (Blue Press), Unhurried Vision (La Alameda/University of New Mexico Press), Choose (Big Bridge Press) and My Youth As A Train (Foothills Publishing). He is also author of the eco-spy thriller Punk Rockwell (Tropical Press). Michael Rothenberg editorial work includes the selected poems of Philip Whalen, Joanne Kyger, David Meltzer and Ed Dorn (Penguin Books) and the Collected Poems of Philip Whalen (Wesleyan University Press). His songs have appeared in Hollywood Pictures' Shadowhunter and Black Day, Blue Night, and most recently, TriStar Pictures' Outside Ozona. Other songs have been recorded on CDs including: The Darkest Part of The Night by Bob Malone, Difficult Woman by Renee Geyer, Global Blues Deficit by Cody Palance, The Woodys by The Woodys, and Schell Game by Johnny Lee Schell.
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