Poet and educator M.L. Liebler will read excerpts from his new memoir Hound Dog on Thursday, April 23, at Aretha’s Jazz Cafe 350 Madison Street in downtown Detroit. The Magic Poetry Band is performing, along with sets from Jackamo and The Plushies. The jams begin at 7 p.m. The Book Beat will be selling copies of Hound Dog and other backlist titles by the poet.
“In his new memoir, Hound Dog: A Poet’s Memoir of Rock, Revolution, and Redemption, M.L. Liebler chronicles his metamorphosis from an orphaned working-class boy into a prolific, pioneering political poet. Known to many as Professor Liebler, this 40-year faculty member of Wayne State University has also been hailed as “Detroit’s Culture Czar” and a “Workers’ Worker.”
His career has spanned from Motown to Munich – bringing poetic expressionism to the frontlines of communities and classrooms. Hound Dog exemplifies and amplifies how art is a form of activism. Rooted in Detroit, Liebler centers the city as a cultural cornerstone, immersing readers in the sounds and landscapes that shape his vision of the “American Dream.”
—The Metro Times
“The poet laureate of America’s working class.”
–Michael Moore
WXYZ Interview with ML Liebler
M.L. Liebler is an internationally acclaimed poet, performer, and literary activist whose work serves as a soulful bridge between Detroit’s gritty working-class roots and its rich musical heritage. A longtime professor at Wayne State University and the founding director of Springfed Arts, Liebler has spent over four decades championing the “worker’s perspective” through his promotion of Detroit’s literary arts scene. He is the author of over 15 books, including the award-winning I Want to Be Once and the definitive anthology of Detroit music: Heaven Was Detroit. Liebler has toured the globe as a cultural ambassador, earning titles such as the Michigan Humanities Champion of the Year. Whether through his poignant verse or his collaborative “poetry-and-rock” shows, Liebler remains a quintessential voice for the spirit and resilience of the American Midwest.