Michael Rothenberg and I marveled at the rapid growth of this project, sometimes talking so fast the world would seem to spin. I've come to realize that our telephone conversations are a brainstorming that is absolutely necessary in order to handle this global event with the required pacing. Having just jumped on a week ago, I am not yet overwhelmed but instead, as realistic as the calm before the storm. Having organized large events in the past, and recognizing the swell of flurries, I teased him on the telephone with little whispers of, "Ya think you're swamped now? ...It's gonna get worse." I asked him when he had started. I think he said 3 months ago ...read more of The ThreePillars of Sustainability__________________________________________As L.A. Poets Unite To define the outstanding persona and quest of the L.A Poet, would entail the run through of the history of the city itself. There is much history in every humanistic aspect of plight in regard to oppression and racism, and the progress of change. 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. But go even further back, 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 Los Angeles in the early days for his setting, as it was a perfect place from where his hero Zorro arose, and in defense of whom?… THE PEOPLE! Charles Bukowski stands out in our minds amongst the best poets of modern poetry. He wasn’t really one of the Beats, although his readers like to romantically place him amongst them. But Hank was different. He was cool .... like most L.A. Poets, Bukowski 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. And it is his realism and sincerity, however cynical, that has attracted many to his poetry and short stories. Of course… he was one of us. Poetry In Motion Series Readers from Left to Right: Anne Beattes, Tommy Swerdlow, Hubert Selby Jr., Katey Sagal, Yvonne de la Vega, Michael Lalley, Michael O'Keefe, Jack Grapes, Eve Brandstein, robert Downey Jr., Lotus Weinstock, MK Harris, Michael DesBarres, Joel Lipman, Carolyn Duqrois. at CAFE LARGO 1992 All in all, because we as poets fight the Good Fight, the Los Angeles Poet is one that uniquely bonds to his fellow poet and there is love, honor and camaraderie between us. We know one another personally, and have known each other for decades.We help each other with the organization of events and support each other without having to be on the bill. We support one another for the love and sake of the Spoken Word. This is just one of the beautiful things about being a Los Angeles Poet. LA POETS UNITE! Founder 100 Thousand Poets For Change, Michael Rothenberg

Michael Rothenberg – Founder and Brain behind 100 Thousand Poets For Change – a dedicated and true voice in Poetry today. Big Bridge Editor and Publisher at Big Bridge an online literary and arts magazine http://www.facebook.com Michael Rothenberg is a poet, songwriter, editor and publisher of Big  Bridge, www.bigbridge.org His poems have been published widely in literary reviews,  His poetry books include Man/Women, a collaboration with Joanne Kyger. 100 TPC Founder, member/affiliate  World Poetry Movement.

Yvonne de la Vega – Los Angeles Poet and poetry journalist. The Los Angeles Poets For Change Events producer, public relations Produced and coordinated “Hollywood Cops For Kids“, special guests and donors included Faye Dunaway, Pricilla Presley and Dwight Yokum. A member of Art Speaks “Just Us” a featured poet at several Art Speaks events with focus on raising awareness to help end police brutality Nationwide. Proud member 100 TPC . Affiliate/ member World Poetry Movement www.yvonnedelavega .com

Richard is the Executive Director of  Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, in Venice, California. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles, California suburb) of Jewish-Irish parents (and later nurtured by Japanese stepmother). One younger brother, a gay activist, now deceased, inspired his commitment to human rights, and is a member of Poets for Human Rights. At the University of Hawaii, he became an anti-war activist and read poet Gary Snyder’s essay “Buddhism and Anarchism,” and then was turned on to Paul Goodman poet/novelist/psychotherapist/anarchist. Richard later joined New York City Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World while attending NYU (presently a member of the Socialist Party USA and the Buddhist Peace Fellowship but still is anarcho-syndicalist in outlook). Richard has written reviews and politics column for the The Independent Reviews Site and is presently a co-director of Poets on the Half Shell.

Milo Martin – Creator of The Overhead Projector Series of the legendary ONYX Readings.  2 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 channeled poems in a unique and honest voice that always finds the good in every observance, transposed by the well traveled poet and nuance archival 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 perfect poetry 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 Californiia.

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,  a group consisting of writers, musicians, and artists. Events Coordinator for 100 TPC.

Douglas Steindorf Ex-Marine and poet who will host a group of ex-military writers. They will speak on topics ranging from the flawed and unfair judicial system to police brutality. His line- up to date includes Poet ‎Steve Abee, Dennis Cruz, and ‎Paul Gallagher banned UK writer, comic, filmmaker, activist.

Rafael Jose Francisco Alvarado hosted for Douglas. Rafael is a long time supporter of poetry.

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” (Ethelrod Press). Christian has long been dedicating himself to the recognition of the Los Angeles poetry scene’s most distinctive voices.

Denise Lyles- Cook, organizer – Published author, motivational speaker, singer, spoken word artist, choreographer, producer, director, actor, dancer, and is a well known healer in the field of massage/movement therapy. 2 musical CD’s which accompany her books, “Full Circle” and “I Gotta Story To Tell” encompassing R&B, Jazz, and Spoken Word fusion.

Conney Williams, Author of Poetry Collection: Leave of Spilled Spirit From an Untamed Poet (Casowary Press) and Host of The World Stage segment of the event.

Antonieta Vilamil – Organizer of La Poesia Festival, hosting the segment of 100 TPC Spanish Poetry reading, member of The World Poetry Movement from Medellin, Columbia, author of several books of poetry, with more than eleven books in print. She was born in Colombia in 1962. She is an international award winning bilingual poet, editor, translator and cultural organizer. Her work was featured in the documentary film “Voices in Wartime”: www.voicesinwartime.org. Her honors include: 2011 LATINO BOOK AWARD, International poetry prize Gastón
Baquero 2001 with her book “Cliff of Dream”/“Acantilados del Sueño”; Prose Poems Project Prize in 2002 for “Migration Fields”; Poetry in Motion Project to “Green Shoes”.

Steve Abee has published two books: King Planet, a collection of stories and poems, and The Bus: Cosmic Ejaculations of the Daily Mind in Transit, a novel. He is a middle school English teacher & 100 TPC – Los Angeles host.

___________________________________”The dark seedy underbelly” of Los Angeles is so often paraphrased, yet people who were not born here have no real idea of the depths of “seedy” and it’s birth in a town where one mustn’t step into the shadows of almost anything here, while  by day, all bask in the hottest spot of sexy, Southern  California. It’s the dichotomy of these two factors that lend to the broad ranged fluidity of the distinctive L.A Poet’s Voice. The beauty of the light, be it stage light  or sun light, a city of beauty, and the obsessions of those who desire it, make both the wiser ones and the defeated ones. They, who would walk the desperate consequences of the shadowed path. And it is there, where, in the dark lay the Poet’s  calling, to experience the suffering of it and survive. until the dawn of light where pen and paper and apple mac awaits their transpositions.         -Yvonne de la Vega, Native Angeleno

We Have A Goal -100 Thousand Poets For Change

_______________________________

Mike The Poet Sonsken by Bianca Smith