Poet | Speaker | Educator

  • Poet-in-Residence, Schwarzenegger Institute, USC: 2024-present

  • Get Lit - Words Ignite, Deputy Director: 2020-2024

  • Bowery Poetry, Director/Executive Director: 2018-2019

  • PoetNY Open Mic, Host: 2017-2019

  • SlamFind, Founder & Producer: 2014-present

  • Mayhem Poets, Poet & Teaching Artist: 2005-present

 

Bio

Mason Granger (he/him) is a spoken word artist with nearly two decades of experience on stages & in educational settings across all 50 states and 15 countries. His work centers around matters of class, nature, and sustainability-- both of ourselves as human beings and the world we share-- all from an imaginative and forward-thinking perspective.

As the inaugural Poet in Residence of the Schwarzenegger Institute at USC and an LA-Paris 2024 Poetic Games Olympic Showcase Awardee, Mason is one of Southern California's most engaging poetic voices. Whether inhabiting a stage himself or making space for others' voices to shine, Mason's approach to the craft of spoken word poetry emphasizes engagement, connection, and creativity. His philosophy is simple: Teachers make sure you walk out knowing what you need to know; poets make sure you walk out feeling what you need to feel. Mason's work, intentionally, makes sure you walk out with both cups full.

As a poet, Mason has been featured on ESPN (2011) , PBS (2018), the Golden Globes (2021), multiple national magazines, and founded a spoken word YouTube channel (2014), SlamFind, with 95,000 subscribers. As an educator and nonprofit director at Get Lit - Words Ignite in LA (2024) and Bowery Poetry Club in NYC (2019), his students have performed for The Last Poets (2018), Prince Harry & Meaghan Markle (2021), been named National Youth Poet Laureate (2023), and achieved countless other accolades. He created poetry exchange programs in Romania (2019) and The Netherlands (2024), performed at the Austrian World Summit (2024), and did a backflip once (2003).

At the end of the day, however, it's not about an individual's past accomplishments, but how we can all build a better future based on the moments we create together in the present. Spoken word poetry, at its very best, is a living art form, and filling a room with that Life--no matter where, when, or with whom-- is what inspires Mason every time he steps on stage.

Upcoming dates

April 1 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Anansi Writers Workshop
4321 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles CA

7:30pm - $10 suggested at the door

April 2 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Unleashed Open Mic @ Dagny’s Coffee
1600 20th St, Bakersfield CA

6pm

April 3 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Peter N. Carey Gallery at The Lofts
340 E. Oak Ave, Visalia CA

5p-8p - FREE

April 4 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Griot Cafe Open Mic & Poetry
1001 E. 4th St, Long Beach CA

7:30p doors, show ends at 10p - $10 - cash only

April 5 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Poetry in The Valley @ Blaqhaus Noho
11671 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood CA

7:30p-10:30p - FREE - 2 item minimum

April 6 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 7 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 8 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Shell Beach Library Poetry Group
230 Leeward Ave, Shell Beach CA

3p-4p - FREE

April 9 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Orange County Public Library
Laguna Hills CA

6p-8p - FREE

April 10 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 11 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Caffeinated Verse: Poetry Open Mic @ Mailbu Library
23519 W Civic Center Way, Malibu CA

11a-1p - FREE

April 12 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

PoetikLA
2930 Hyperion Blvd, Silverlake LA CA

FREE - outdoor space

April 13 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

San Diego Poetry Slam @ Queen Bee’s
3925 Ohio St, San Diego CA

8pm - $5 admission

April 14 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Da Poetry Lounge Open Mic
TBD

8:15pm doors, 9pm show - $10 suggested

April 15 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Spirits in the Air Poetry Reading @ The Good Lion
1212 State St, Santa Barbara CA

4:30p-6:30p - happy hour & poetry reading - Free

April 16 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

3rd Thursday Open Mic @ Willow Glen Library
1157 Minnesota Ave, San José CA

TBD

April 17 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 18 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Poetry From The Garden @ LA County Arboretum
301 N. Baldwin Ave, Arcadia CA

10a-12p - Free for members, free with admission

April 19 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

Baby Got Bacchus @ Nico’s Wines
3111 Glendale Blvd, Atwater Village LA CA

6p-7:30p - FREE

April 20 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 21 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 22 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 23 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 24 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 25 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 26 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 27 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 28 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 29 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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April 30 - 30 Days & 30 Mics

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PODCAST: Past Forward | Episode 489 | June 27, 2023 - Mason Granger - FULL EPISODE WITH TRANSCRIPT HERE

“Poetry isn’t something that used to happen, it’s happening right now, all the time around us.” -Mason

Spoken Word Videos

What is your poetry about? What’s your style? Who are you? I’ve written tons, but these are a solid representation of the work and the vibe that I’m proud to be about. If you like these, you’ll like me, and vice versa.

Mason Granger - “Trash” + Text-a-Word poetry exercise

Filmed at the UCLA Nimoy Theater in Los Angeles CA

Mason Granger - Air Is Food You Breathe”

Filmed at The Prose Bowl in Pasadena CA

Mason Granger - “Coffee”

Filmed at Write About Now in Houston TX

Mason Granger - “Two Types of People”

Filmed at Bowery Poetry Club in NYC

Prince Harry & Meghan visit Get Lit

“Prince Harry and Meghan dropped into my poetry class on Saturday and kicked it with the Get Lit Players for a multitude of minutes. My favorite part of it all was Meghan echoing so many sentiments we’ve talked about in class, about this particular moment in time/history to be a young person and the ripple effect of a single voice. The root of them deciding to come is because at some point in their lives, they were moved by a poem. And whoever wrote that poem at some point thought to themselves, “Does this even matter? Is anyone even listening?” And they shared it anyway. Fast forward ripple ripple ripple and these kids get a surprise 45 minute chat with the Prince Harry and Meghan. It was pretty surreal. My kids shared poems, they asked questions, the kids answered and asked questions back, they responded authentically (they actually read and learned the kids’ bios I'd sent earlier). The org and all the kids are posting today with more details about the visit— I just want to say that the Get Lit Players are brilliant and 10/10 would recommend The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for your next Zoom poetry practice.”

People Magazine | Harper’s Bazaar | Elle Magazine | Daily Mail UK | Express | Hello Magazine | HuffPost | Town & Country

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Outreach

Mason's writing, performance, and educational styles make him perfect for any  presentation– be it as a keynote speaker, spotlight feature, event host, or classroom facilitator.

Please reach out using the contact form to inquire about speaking engagements and more!