Internationally known, Amoja 'The Mo-Man' Sumler is a poet, an educator and spoken word phenom based in Little Rock, Arkansas. From headlining spoken word festivals like 'Listen' and 'Rock the Republic', to paneling critical theory conferences The Mo-Man, has remained active and dedicated to the arts scene. While this community primarily encompasses Arkansas, his work and touring influence artists around the state and has helped to grow the larger southeast region as well. The Mo-Man is classically trained possessing a B.A. in English/Creative Writing, matriculating as both a McNair and a Coopers honors Scholar, and performs nationwide in such renowned events as the Southern Fried Poetry Slam, the National Poetry Slam, and Southwest Shootout. The passion, worldview, and multicultural perspective of his work comes through clearly when leading creative writing and performance workshops for students throughout all stages of their educational career providing an engaging environment that aids students in thinking critically about the text while also affording them the opportunity to express themselves through performance and writing. This dynamic approach has enabled "The Mo-Man" to provide a different perspective to canonical literature for the students consideration. The workshops provided can be catered to a school's or classroom's specific needs, thereby providing a mix of the literature that students are currently learning in addition to contemporary artists with which they may not be familiar. For more information about booking, please contact via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 501-541-0681

I was born in Chicago and proudly called it home for close to a decade, but the South is where I've invested most of my time, heart and career. Poetry has long been my passion, and while I can boast a number of skills in critical theory and community organization, it's poetry that's received more than 25 years of my constant dedication. To me, poetry has been and still is concentrated, mood altering, intense and life changing. In 2000, I accepted the responsibility of being the poetry slam master of Little Rock and have continued to bear the commitment to the present. The chaotic word combat of poetry slams provides a thrilling and captivating atmosphere, but it is not the whole of poetry for me. I understand the power of words and have striven to not only share them with my community and peers but also to help shape and build something lasting. As the founder and president of Poets in the Streets, I've taken an active part in improving literacy throughout Arkansas and surrounding states, bringing an innovative, engaging, and inclusive perspective to students of all ages.