*excerpts from Mike's official Bio, borrowed from Rich Boucher's Newsletter*

2003 National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Champion
2003 San Francisco Grand Slam Champion
2003 San Jose Grand Slam Champion

"Mike was once heckled by his mother's kidney while performing in the womb....

.....Mike’s biggest inspirations are his family, friends, nature and humanity. He really freakin’ digs people. His grandmother Mary always had a suspicion her grandson would succeed at whatever path he chose. She passed away New Year’s Eve 2002, but Mike still talks to her from time to time. She gives him good Scrabble clues.

Mike McGee writes to inspire through entertainment. Since 1989, Mike has been involved in various projects including theater, music, radio, slam poetry, stand up comedy and television.

Thanks to poet Geoff Trenchard in 1998, Mike entered his first open mic, in San Jose. It was there that he realized his dream: To talk at people until they left or laughed. He has since done at least half his best to marry humor with sincerity, and observation with comedy. With spoken word, Mike is able to grab the audience, entertain them, let them into his world, and express some of his deepest feelings. He does this while hogging up all the attention on stage and making people laugh at him, themselves and any other animals in the room. Mike likes people and it shows in his presence and performance. His style is considered very insightful while slightly off the beaten path. Mike makes audiences of any size laugh and think.....

...In 2003, Mike had a great year as a poetry slam competitor. He won the San Francisco Grand Slam Final, San Jose Grand Slam Final, and the 2003 National Poetry Slam Individual Grand Slam Championship held in Chicago. He has gone on spoken word tours through Texas, the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver B.C., the Atlantic Coast, and several dozen cities, schools and venues throughout North America.

He has shared the camera, stage and billing with the likes of Viggo Mortensen, KRS ONE, Shane Koyczan, Geoff Trenchard, Buddy Wakefield, Roger Bonair-Agard, Corbet Dean, Patricia Smith, Saul Williams, Mos Def, Regie Gibson, RC Weslowski, Rachel and George McKibbens, Taylor Mali, Shappy Seasholtz, Neil Hamburger, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, Blair, Marc Smith, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Tracy Morgan, Suicide Kings, Strata, Will Franken, Rives, and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, among countless others performers and artists.....

...Mike has appeared and taped for the fourth season of Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry Jam on HBO, twice on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s ZeD (solo and as TOFU with Shane Koyczan), and on several San Francisco Bay Area local programs. Mike has also been working with his best friend Jeff Archuleta on a TV pilot, along with their friends Rick and Chris....."

You can find out more about Mike McGee at his website, www.mikemcgee.net.