Mad Poet Archive

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the printing of "Mad's Black Book". This book was a VERY limited edition that contained all but a handful of the "Mad Poet Communiqués". The Mad Poet Project was very widespread and people still say to me "Oh! you're the Mad Poet!". Rather than ramble any further here on the importance of the project I would like to reprint the text from a flyer explaining the project that was used ten years ago. It appears to me to still be quite relevant.

" We live in strange times indeed. Alienation and division is the status quo. We are encouraged to live the narrowest most fearful lives possible: shut up and watch TV. Censorship, self censorship, and disinformation run rampant through all the "proper channels". Finding ourselves overwhelmed we give up, taking all information in by habit. Unable to react with feeling to any of it. It seems we can no longer be whole beings with complex thought processes. If we write poetry than we are "poets". If we paint we are "artists". If we speak of politics we are "politicians". The list goes on and on covering every skill imaginable each with its own "proper place" walled off from all the others. Yet as conscious humans we are capable of all these things, every one of us. If we are to move forward in life we must first realize this and break the cycle of self limiting insanity. We must realize that we are the makers of history and we are limitless.

On January 21st of 1991 all this seemed to reach a high point. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was lost to the beginning of "Desert Storm". In spite of our ability to broadcast information all over the globe in seconds we witnessed a war more censored than any other in the history of the world. There were demonstrations all over the globe and yet when we tuned in to the proper channels of information there were statistics and polls showing that everyone supported our role in the Gulf War. It was in response to these things that I created "The Mad Poet" and what later became known as "The Mad Poet Communiqués".

Mixing graphic art and poetry these communiqués are released every week and relate to current happenings in our society. They are posted and distributed around the country and of course here in Tucson. The Map Poet Communiqués are not "anonymous". They are written by a character, a spirit, or shapeshifter. One who takes many forms....One week a gay black man, the next an old Nazi or a storyteller. One whose only permanent guise is "The Mad Poet". This gives each communiqué the ability to speak from a different perspective, usually one rarely heard. They are neither individual pieces of art, political flyers, nor poetry. Though many people see them narrowly as one of these things. The Mad Poet Project is participatory. Each communiqué is made so that it can be reproduced and spread around like a highly communicable disease. Although each poster goes through a long series of steps to be created I do not consider the finished piece to be my camera ready artwork. The finished piece is the communiqués that you have copied and posted at the local laundromat from the master copy I sent you. Only this encompasses the vision that I hold for The Mad Poet. Only this takes you out of the role of passive observer and joins art with life where it belongs. Only this involves a cycle of communication and learning. it is not art for compassion or pity, it is art for change, for thought and action.

Location or "context" is also very important. The Mad Poet Communiqués are placed on the streets first and foremost. The streets are the last refuge for free speech and the exchange of information. If we are to combat the atmosphere created by the mostly mindless media we must transform it ourselves. We must not just stand by it criticizing as loudmouthed cynics. We must create a new atmosphere of rebellion and celebration. Location is also important in that I am placing poems "where they do not belong". This gives their messages the ability to bypass the thought processes brought on by habit and actually make the observer THINK about what is being said. Art belongs in everyday life, not in the homes of the wealthy! We must not let our many forms of communication turn into products. Communication works best when ideas are shared, not bought."

What follows is a complete digital archive of all of The Mad Poet Communiqués. The reason they are not in color is (you guessed it) so that they can be printed out by you, the makers of history. That said, in order to load the images in a timely fashion they do not contain the proper ppi needed for high resolution output. If you would like a printed copy of a particular poem simply contact me at

I have also culled from the archives full sets of the mad poet communiqués. These are printed on their original color papers and are shrink wrapped in chronological order. If you would like a set just go to my secure ordering page.

WARNING: The Mad Poet Communiqués commonly used very strong language and most would say "not suitable for children!". These are surely of an adult nature. If you are offended by strong language or subject matter then do not go any further. (go back to the television).

Love,
The Mad Poet