CHILD OF THE SUN | dimlightspublishing

Child of the Sun. Man of the Moon.

Author: David "Judah1" Oliver

Genre: Poetry

Child of the Sun. Man of the Moon. by David Judah 1 Oliver is a contradiction, a young man with much experience. He is like Bruce Lee first flexing toward Jeet Kune Do or Little Stevie Wonder's fingertips playing the nation's airwaves so that the answer-age ain't nothin' but a number-comes before the question. You cannot engage him without being willing to pay a price, to take a risk, to force a confrontation with yourself. But it's worth it because he is on his way, early in a journey of great importance, and he is open to the possibility of taking you with him.

PURCHASE

Poet. Author. Teacher. Activist. Believer. Host and founder of LionLike MindState open mic and special event series. Owner of Machine Pomona Art Gallery in Pomona, CA. Member of the 2005 and 2006 LA Slam Team. Coach of the 2009 and 2010 Empire MindState Slam Team (2nd in the nation). Author of Instructions for Alchemy. Ingredients of Ether and Child of the Sun. Man of the Moon.

Visit his website: www.machinepomona.com

PURCHASE CHILD OF THE SUN. MAN OF THE MOON.

Available for readings, performances, workshops, etc. Booking contact:

judah1poet@gmail.com

Child of the Sun. Man of the Moon. EPK

Judah1

Cal Poly Post - Erin O'Brien - 3/27/2012

“Art saved my life,” said David Judah Oliver, as he sat surrounded by poetry and philosophy books, paintings and sculptures.

The poet and owner of the art gallery Machine Pomona, who is also known as Judah 1, described how much of an impact art can have on a person’s life, specifically his own.

When Oliver was 16 years old his best friend, who had introduced him to the spoken word venue A Mic and Dim Lights in Downtown Pomona, committed suicide behind his house.

“I went through a very dark time and the only thing there for me where I could express myself was art,” said Oliver. “So, art saved my life.”

When asked who his inspirations are, Oliver named owner of A Mic and Dim Lights Cory “Besskepp” Cofer among other poets and venue owners, such as rapper Mos Def and co-host of Da’ Poetry Lounge in Hollywood Shihan.

Cofer remembers when Oliver first started going to A Mic and Dim Lights over a decade ago. He saw Oliver become more mature in his writing and become a leader.

Knowing Oliver now, Cofer said he considers him a Renaissance man and one of the hardest working people in the community. The perseverance it took for Oliver to open Machine Pomona impresses Cofer.

“His willingness to be open to new ideas and to bring different people together and to have something blossom right under his feet- I think it’s amazing,” said Cofer. “I think his future with Machine Pomona is going to be very bright.”

As Oliver was able to learn about spoken word through Cofer’s venue years ago, young kids can come in Oliver’shop and learn about the nature of poetry and art.

Although Oliver grew up in Inglewood, he has spent most of his adult life in Pomona and has grown in to a well-known poet through the downtown art scene.

Machine Pomona, located on South Park Street in Pomona adjacent to the art district, is filled with art in various forms along the walls, on the ceiling and even in the air.

Oliver got the keys for Machine Pomona in March 2011 and opened the gallery in April. The grand opening was held in this past summer in June.

Before opening Machine Pomona, Oliver already hosted a open mic night called LionLike MindState, which is now located in the front entrance area of Machine Pomona.

Oliver lives art every day with new experiences in his store, which can be unpredictable. Oliver lives in the upstairs area of the building, which used to be a pawn shop before the place was completely remodeled.

The rooms in the downstairs area of Machine Pomona all blend into one another, with large entry ways from one to the next, but no doors blocking the view.

Through the window in the outside, visitors are drawn in by the large red “Art saves lives” poster and the racks of locally made clothing.

It is not uncommon for a group of young teens to walk in and ask what the place is and say they have never been inside, to which Oliver replies “Go on and look then.”

Through his work in the Pomona community, Oliver meets many people from different backgrounds. Oliver frequently performs at schools, churches, mosques and fundraisers.

Cal Poly Pomona students may recognize him from his spoken word performances at events such as Dia De Los Muertos and Session A.

“I’m not like a big artist or anything like that, but if I am, I’m not going to be one of those people that doesn’t come and build a school back home, you know what I mean? So, I’m that dude that wants to do something where I’m at,” said Oliver.

CPP alumna Shelley Bruce, whose work is featured in the gallery, met Oliver when she started getting involved in the local art scene about five years ago. She said Oliver is a cool guy with a lot of humility.

“He’s really devoted to the community and whatever he does is serving the community, so that’s really cool,” said Bruce.

Oliver and Bruce both teach with the Prison Education Program, which CPP Political Science Professor Renford Reese started in October. Through the project, Oliver teaches poetry to inmates in the California State Institute for Men in Chico.

Oliver has also taught poetry at all the elementary schools in the Pomona Unified School District. The school children published a book of poetry, which Oliver said is “really cool.”

Oliver has written one of his own independently published books of poetry and is working on his second.
It is Oliver’s hope that others can be saved through art as he was, whether it be through art in the form of music, sculpture, spoken word, or any other form.

When speaking to a group of kids at his shop, one of them came up to Oliver and said he knew Oliver from when he volunteered as a poetry teacher at Camp Glenn Rockey, a Los Angeles County juvenile probation camp in San Dimas.

Oliver’s business partner for Machine Pomona Jerrane “LaVoice” Owens taught the young man as well, at a school in Pomona, and the two did not even know until the three of them met again at the shop by coincidence.

It is instances like this, where Oliver has helped young kids, that he said really are what he wants to do in the community. On hearing that another young adult whom he taught at Glenn Rockey is planning on enrolling in college now that he is out, Oliver was excited.

“It’s awesome, I can’t even say anything about it; It’s just awesome,” Oliver said with a smile on his face.