LOS ANGELES: THE POETRY LIVES ALSO in L.A.!

 

Here I am with Jack Keruoac. 

My Slogan: The life of a writer must be a passion and fun.

Back to Los Angeles! 

My goal was to discover Los Angeles from ist cultural side!! And I understood that immediatly, if you want to discover this side, you must go under the surface of the Hollywood planet.... dig deep and you will discover some treasures, as I did.

I was fortunate and invited to some readings. 

That I was reading so many times is just a proof of the evidence that the poetry lives also in such a megacity like Los Angeles, that is determined by Hollywood, movie industry and other big Business of the world´s Format.

During three weeks I could read my poetry, written in English. From my novel written in German, but now being translated into English and our "Poets Protest Manifesto" and our "Peace Manifesto". All you can see and read here, see the links-.

I hope you feel inspired while reading it & watching it.

Or our "Poets Protest Manifesto":

aswell the 

"Peace Manifesto": 

"My name is Milena Oda. I am a writer. I am not happy abou the risky situation, the dangers we share now in the world. I call all people all over the world, people in Israel, in Palestina, in Iran. Love the peace we have, we share! Love our planet, love the universe who created us, to whom we are...thankful we are still alive, and that we live. Love yourself! - The wars wre real signs of our end. Real dangers of the nuclear power. The Angel of the dead spread his wings over these places. Keep power of the love in your hearts, not the nuclear power, forget the hate, forget the weapons! We dont want any apocalypse now! We want to live without the nuclear plants, nuclear weapons and hate! Please love the peace! Create the love and create the magic, the beauty of the magic, think about it! Make it happen: Less weapons, more kisses!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO-FJYKcWRg&feature=plcp.

You can read & see it also here on my

EuropeBlog: http://www.MilenaOda.wordpress.com. 

Here you can listen to one of my poems I was reading there: "Berlin, Ocean": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_-ittBqk5c&feature=plcp, 

One poem "HIDDEN" is published in the December Issue of THE GRAWN - Gallery Row Art Walk News, it is a cool independet Art-Newspaper, it is my first newspaper I hold in my hands (next to LATimes) when I first arrived to L.A. Here is the link, the last page is for poetry:  http://thegrawn.com/files/decemberfinal3.pdf
I liked it, and the destiny wanted that I publish in that newspaper, I appreciate. You can find it verywhere, in the galleries in Downtown of L.A. in Art District. 

Here is the poem Hidden as a video:  


 I was invited and I discovered such an amazing cultural place like: Beyond Baroque in Venice Beach. This is an exceptional place for poets, writers, actors, started in the 60s with the literary magazine with the name Beyond Baroque, and then they moved in this house 1979, which was a former city hall, and the poetry and literature with the all poets of the Beat Generation found their place where to present their work.

The place is dedicated to Literature and Poetry, to the BEAT GENERATION. One of the greatest dedications is to Allen Ginsberg.  And Jack Kerouac. Here are some photos from Jiri Stivin as Allen Ginsberg was in the Czechoslowakia, he was named: KING OF MAJALES. King of freedom...  Allen Ginsberg loved Czechoslowakia (I think), and he came back when I was just student, so I had the luck to meet him twice reading his poem HOWL in from of us Students... and other poems... He made on me such a big impression, that I started to read more American Literature, the Beat Generation, there started my love to America:::::   I read here twice... I am sure I will read here again and again. Here I liked Ellyn Maybe Poetry Show, The Ellyn Maybe Band performs as well as improvises behind open readers, 5 minute limit and other Open-Mike reading.

Further I was invited by Elena Secota in Santa Monica in Rapp Saloon, also a historical place, a former townhall from the begin of the 20th century. Elena makes a pleasant evening, she invites Young & Old poets, Young & Old musician to delight the sense of the listeners. She makes it with passion for the poetry. Just because she loves to do it. Every third week she makes it happen for 10-20 people who come a cultural and sensual night!

And absolute amazing was a discovery of the The Last Bookstore,  I would say this is one of the most beautiful bookstores I have even seen. Maybe in the world! This is a must to see, in Downtown of L.A. A Show hosts MikeThePoet Sonksen.  Here: Poet Sean Hill, me, Poets Antonieta Vilamill and Mark from the Revolutionary Poets Brigade.  

On saturday, 24th of Nov. I was invited by the Poet Teresa Mei Chuc, who I really appreciate to read in the Central Library in Pasadena, city in Los Angeles County, from my novel in German: "Nennen Sie mich Diener", in English translated by Steph Morris, the excerpt of this novel: "Please Call Me Servant" you can read here, at the International Writer´s Program of the Iowa Unviersity:

http://iwp.uiowa.edu/writers/oda-onetti-milena
 Here: Me, Teresa Mei Chuc, Elizabeta Betinski, and Margaret Medina! Poetry, novel, memoir and a play! ♥

Last but not at least is The Leimert Park, the former Black Ghetto with this cultural place, I was there with my friend, - Poet-Performer Sean Hill.    

And how was in San Francisco, another my favorite cities in California, in the USA, you can read and see videos on youtube or here. I met there great poets, like Jack Hirschman oder Larence Ferlinghetti, some from the Revolutionary Poets Brigade... 

About my other travels, meetings, encounters like in San Francisco with the legendary publisher and poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in the The City Lights Bookstore you can read and see videos here: http://milenaoda.blogspot.com/2012/08/san-francisco-meeting-lawrence.html

More videos, more stories, poetry, film and views you can see on my Channel, full of poetry, Shorts, and travel messages: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/milenaoda