By Steve Chiotakis
FROM: Greater L.A./KCRW
Southern California may not get the credit it deserves for its strong literary community and a great spoken word scene. However, poets Shonda Buchanan and Mike Sonksen tell Greater LA the poetry community could be the most diverse scene in the city of Los Angeles.
Continue reading “2 Local Poets: ‘The Spirit of Activism Has Always Been in LA Poetry’”
Emerging poet and professor bridgette bianca discusses her life, work and the local literary community. Continue reading Poet Bridgette Bianca on Connecting Through Spoken Word
Accomplished local poet, teacher and mentor, Holly Prado, passed away on June 14th in West Hills. Her impact on the community, contributing to workshops, readings, and literary salons, along with her deeply introspective, mystical, and often spiritual poetry, will be remembered. Continue reading Passing of A Los Ángeles Poet Holly Prado
By Brian Dunlap
On April 28, My Lit Box celebrated its third birthday at Hilltop Coffee & Kitchen in View Park-Windsor Hills. I arrived early, before the tables and chairs had been arranged and the microphone plugged in. The space was lively, black friends in conversation, white friends in conversation, hipsters sitting at the back counter completing work on their laptops.
by ASTRID
From: L.A. Taco
“Los Angeles is not Baywatch or the Beach Boys, it is getting carne asada tacos from a taco truck and bacon wrapped hot dogs at two in the morning.”
These are the words of Mike Sonksen, a poet, historian, activist, teacher, husband, and father better known as Mike the Poet. The nickname was given to Mike at the age of 23, by a friend who noticed he always carried a notebook. “You know Mike, you’re not Mike Sonksen, you’re Mike the Poet.”
Continue reading “Profile of a Modern-Day Poet in L.A.: Mike The Poet”
It begins every Wednesday at 7:30 pm. Early arrivals step to the mic, sharing a poem in progress to receive much needed feedback. Then they provide feedback to others. V. Kali, author of Hymn (World Stage Press), sits next to the donation box and front entrance and welcomes attendees as they arrive. As host, V. has been a warm presence each week for years, her long beautiful natural hair a thing of legend. As the crowd grows, the list of open mic readers expands before the feature grabs everyone’s attention. Murmurs of “mmm hmm” and “that’s right” arise from the crowd. After, it’s the community-the open mic readers’-turn at the mic. It’s their chance to bring down the house.
Continue reading “The World Stage and Literary Black Los Ángeles”
By Brian Dunlap
Sunday at the Hollywood Hotel was a time to build community. 13 writers and active participants in the Los Ángeles literary community came together to discuss creating, nurturing and sustaining the community that means so much to them. Also, they came together to remind everyone, they too are writers, by sharing their work.
This was another edition of “The Table Reading Series”, created by Los Ángeles novelist Natasha Deón. It began last year with “the goal to help raise up the next generation of writers and readers to be actively engaged in the writing community; to invest in them, give them a space to begin, to reach new or estranged writers in Los Angeles, and to provide fresh outlets for writers and fans to engage and contribute to the vibrancy of the Los Angeles literary community.”
As 2016 comes to a close, local writers have found publishing success. Some have published in journals and magazines, others publshed books and even others published both short pieces along with books. There is a richness in the diversity of their narratives. Congratulations to all the hardworking writers in the Los Angeles literary community. Continue reading Los Ángeles Writers Publish in 2016
Los Angeles Literature 