Michael has been described as ‘the patron saint of Melbourne’s Poetry’ and is much loved by poets around Melbourne. He grew up in Geelong but is a mad Hawthorn fan. He started reading at the Dan in 1999 and currently runs Passionate Tongues at the Brunswick Hotel every second Monday night. He has done a lot for everyone, encouraging new poets to continue having a go on the open mic, and giving many of us our first features. He released a chapbook through Melbourne Poets Union called ‘Upon finding a chair in the forest’ in 2008 which has had four reprints since then. His work jumps out at you for it’s careful use of language and the hilarious word play poems. Michael is also known for his photography and many of his photo’s have been used to advertise and promote poets all around Melbourne and serve as a record of the history of the poetry scene.