Meet Linda Kaye | Poet, poetry and theatrical producer & filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Kaye and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Life happens when you take the risk. My poem, “Life, What a Risk” says a lot about how I feel about it.

“Plain and simple. Exposure. Risk of being revealed. Outed before your peers. Possibly humbled or humiliated.

Life lived safely equals
You represent what you can, maybe the edited version of self, the dark and sometimes the light, and give up what you can safely expose.
Bottom line, It’s all up to you to take the risk.
And the risk is very personal. That’s why it’s so scary
the risk is risky.

The risk will demand commitment intention and require follow through
to face fear
ignore judgment
Capeece?
Yo entiendo?

Maximum risk? Well oh boy you’re going for it now!
Takes cajones. Chutzpah. Mazel.

Life requires that you live it
it means you’re alive so you need to live it to its
fullest
that’s what I said on my website suck it dry. Life. Suck it dry!”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am so honored and proud to have been chosen as one of 60 artists recently featured in the “We the People” exhibit at the Ontario Museum of Art and History. Our rap music video “Erace-ism” is a tongue n cheek take on racism in our society. In February 2022, I produced my first poetry musical “ 20 Years Left” at the historic Ebell Club in Highland Park. The show played two performances on one day and featured poets and spoken word artists 60 years old and up. I am over the hill, pleased with these two exciting productions under my belt. I’ve had many chapters in my life. I started out as a ballerina in childhood, then ventured into acting. I dropped out of the acting world cold turkey, went to college receiving degrees in psychology and social work. Life has been challenging, but I don’t know anyone who has had an easy journey. Takes discipline and commitment to accomplish your pursuits with trust in your capabilities, and with a strong sense of self and ego. After a 30 year career as a social worker, I started getting antsy. I needed an outlet to deal with all the traumas that I had witnessed working in the medical field, emergency rooms, trauma centers, intensive care and neonatal intensive care units. Working on the front lines dealing with death and dying, psychiatric emergencies, helping people adjust with physical anomalies and disabilities was taking its toll on my own psyche. I needed an outlet. So returning to my theatrical background, rang heavily in my heart. I started working with a friend of mine, who is a stage performer on a musical project, called Linda’s Kit Kat cabaret. After a year of rehearsing, I put the project on the shelf. I just wasn’t feeling the vibe. Then a year or so later I went to a show, suggested by my friend who was the DJ performer of the evening, and there I met a guy who was a poet. This poet invited me to an open mic that he was hosting, and I was smitten and bitten by the art of spoken word performance. The next month I performed my first spoken word piece titled “20 years left“ which became the poetry musical performed at the historic Highland Park Ebell club mentioned above. Lessons learned on my artistic path, have always resonated to the tune of do your own thing, you are original, because no one is like you. Keep it up girl!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Everything and anything desired is all right here in north east Los Angeles! Eagle rock Glassell Park and Highland Park is where it’s at. Cruising down Figueroa Street. Anytime of the day you will see the bustling of youth dressed in the latest fashionable attire with OG locals strutting the streets, wondering who are all these newbies infiltrating their historic Highland Park core. Tons of eateries and bars and galleries located all along the strip of Figueroa Street and York Boulevard. I often frequent the Blind Barber bar which is a secret door at the back of the barbershop on Figueroa. You will see hordes of people hanging outside the Goldline bar music spinning vinyls, owned by the iconic DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, featuring the newest, and latest DJs.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Life doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes a village. A support network full of friends, family, educators, sponsors, organizations, such as yourself at Shoutout that gives one the encouragement and love and validation to pursue one’s interests, passions and creative endeavors. I dedicate my story to the teachers and theorists in psychology. Maslow, Freud, Carl Rogers, Don Miguel Ruiz. They helped me to develop my voice and taught me how to navigate the world through a humanistic lens.

Website: Www.lindakayepoetry.com

Instagram: Lindakayepoetry

Twitter: Lindakayepoetry

Facebook: Linda Kaye

Youtube: Linda Kaye Poetry

Image Credits
Dietmar Kohl, Brad Stubbs, photographers