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Michael McMahon
Michael McMahon is a poet and writer, and organizer of the Mt Shasta Writers Series, providing regular open mic readings, and a yearly schedule of visiting poets to the Mt. Shasta area."The turn-out and audience response has far exceeded my expectations," said McMahon, spealing of the events. Sponsored by seven local businesses, the Siskiyou Arts Council, Poets & Writers Magazine and individual volunteers, the events have over 50 people in attendance, according to McMahon.
"The Writers Series will focus on bringing Pacific Northwest writers who write on themes relevant to our community. Poetry is a public art form which began around the campfire. That is the feel I am creating with the series. I also hope to bring the writers into the schools, particularly area high schools, and I encourage interested teachers or students to contact me."
Artist StatementFor me being a poet, writing poetry and organizing the Writers Series is about two things. First, there is a love of the poem. Poetry is and has always been the peoples art form. From the advent of culture important stories have been remembered and retold in rhythmic verse around the campfire. These stories were sacred, they were how the people understood their place in the world. I don’t think that’s changed. As a poet, I write somewhat as a reporter, this is what I saw, how it felt. That form of reporting is incredibly valuable. These days there is very little honest and well rendered reporting of that sort. This form of reporting gives the people a voice, a way of staking their own claim to the truth. The media and mainstream culture does not present the truth and if we don’t through our own expression than the truth of our experience is not out there.
Second and closely related is the understanding that all of us hunger to express ourselves through art. The Writers Series has shown me how pervasive this hunger is and how some people don’t even recognize it exists until they come to an event and what happens there inspires to write and maybe even share their work at an open mic.. For me that is more gratifying than writing even. Art is about us making ourselves and our community more whole.
To read a 2005 interview with Mike McMahoh, CLICK HERE.
To read Mike's poetry, CLICK HERE,
Anyone interested in assisting with the Mt. Shasta Writer's Series can contact Michael McMahon at 926-1835 or mcmahon@finestplanet.com.