Mark States

"One of the best performance poets around"
- Dale Jensen, "The Last Word", Berkeley CA.

"Mark's video, 'Oakland Crazy', makes me proud to be an Oaklander."
- Jan Steckel, author.

Mark States is a well-respected poet in the Bay Area scene. Performance poet, host of Poetry Express in Berkeley, facilitator of the Public Speaking for Poets workshops, he uses humor, parody and characters to reflect the angst and insecurities of everyday life.

He has featured throughout California at such venues as Da Poetry Lounge (Los Angeles), The Ugly Mugg (Orange), The Starry Plough (Berkeley Slam), and the Oakland Literature Expo 2004 & 2005. He was ranked at Berkeley Slam in 2001 and 2002 and finalist at Oakland Slam in 2004. His performance poetry video "Oakland Crazy" came out in April 2004.

Mark was open mike emcee for the Berkeley Poetry Festival (1998-2002) and coordinator in 2004.

Mark has written three poetry collections (Reinvention from Mother's Hen in 1995, Grip of the Past from CC Marimbo Communications in 2000, and Tongue Control, The Laguna Poets Series #215 from The Inevitable Press in 2001). He has appeared in such publications as Oracle, Poetalk, The Plastic Tower, and online in Poetrymagazine.com and Muse Apprentice Guild, and on television in Poetry2001 and Touch of a Poet.