“The Poetry of Strangers” at Los Angeles LGBT Center

In The Poetry of Strangers solo show (also known as The Infinity Show), Brian Sonia‑Wallace doesn’t just perform poems; he invites you into a living experiment in connection. With his typewriter center‑stage, he merges clowning, listening, and sacred reading practices to create unscripted poetry born of audience prompts. Every live performance is unique, because every show’s subject is the audience. Magically, a poem for one becomes a poem for all. When a stranger’s story is heard on stage, the audience feels seen too. That reciprocity, and the shift from personal to communal, makes every performance feel inclusive yet deeply intimate.

Co-presented by Brian Sonia-Wallace & Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Poetry of Strangers will be staged on one night only this Thursday, July 24, from 7-8PM with no intermission.  Purchase tickets here.

Brian Sonia-Wallace started writing poetry for strangers over a decade ago at a typewriter, producing poems on demand. What began as a spontaneous sidewalk experiment – setting up his typewriter with a sign asking, “Do you need a poem?” – evolved into a nationwide poetic expedition. From Los Angeles boulevards to Mall of America corridors to classrooms and Amtrak dining cars, Sonia‑Wallace asked strangers for topics, transforming brief walks and chance conversations into deeply human poetry. This brave experiment became his typewriter poetry company RENT Poet, a custom poetry service. His work has been commissioned by Amtrak, National Parks, and even tech and civic institutions.

Rather than loftily theoretical, his poems are brief gifts, typed on index cards in a few minutes, meant to reflect the moment with the stranger. Yet their simplicity holds depth; many readers describe being moved to tears. The work redefines what it means to “perform” poetry: not the crafted recitation, but the empathetic offering of words in service to another’s truth.

Brian was West Hollywood’s Poet Laureate from 2020–22. He was an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow in 2021, and he holds an MA in sustainable development. He teaches creative writing through Get Lit and UCLA Extension, and has written for The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and Poets.org. His work bridges communities from high schools to national public spaces, always weaving poetry with activism and presence.