Mike the Poet calls South LA “the blood and bones” of Los Angeles



Mike the Poet interacting with students after the open mike session| Photo credit: Sinduja Rangarajan

Mike the Poet interacting with students after the open mic session | Sinduja Rangarajan

Mike Sonksen patted a student’s back, bumped fists with another and hugged a third as he took swift, long strides across the California State University Los Angeles campus on a recent afternoon.

The lanky 40-year-old, popularly known as “Mike the Poet,” had just finished hosting an open mic session that brought together poets, singers and songwriters from across the campus. Sonksen performed during the session, but only briefly. He was focused instead on encouraging the next generation of artists. Beyond crafting poems, Sonksen, who is also a journalist and performer, considers himself a mentor to upcoming poets in the city.

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