Saturday Night Rives

“This is the one thing I think people get twisted about a poet. They think that you are up there to bare your soul. I’m up there for a lot of reasons - soul-baring is one of them. But I am a performer, so I will lie to you. I will try to make you laugh and I will try to break your heart...” - Rives, Performance Poet.

Rives is a poet and multi-media artist from Los Angeles who applies new technologies to ancient art forms. He has appeared on Romanian billboards, in Scottish pubs and inside a 1964 Cadillac with a supermodel for the Bravo TV special 'Ironic Iconic America.' He is the co-host of the annual TEDActive conference, receives regular ovations at TEDConferences, and has appeared on multiple seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam.

He was the 2004 National Poetry Slam champion and, offstage, he designs and writes pop-up books. His poems burst in many directions, exposing multiple layers and unexpected treats: childhood memories, grown-up humour, notions of love and lust, of what is lost forever and of what's still out there waiting to unfold. Posts by those who discover him online frequently use the word “genius” or mention the word “love”: fans have had his lines tattooed on their bodies. Don’t miss the phenomenon that is Rives (rhymes with “weaves”). Let’s welcome him wholeheartedly to Auckland.

Event listed by writersfestival

View their other events or contact promoter