Thirty-Two Erotic Haikus Written in Los Angeles Traffic

Like most in his hometown, native Angeleno M.J. Mauer spends many hours in his car. Several years ago, he developed a practice of writing erotic haikus while stuck in the city’s infamous traffic. This is a collection, chosen by the author himself, of the thirty-two best haikus that he has written to date. For each work the time of day and his location are recorded, which gives the project the feeling of a non-linear, non-traditional map. This is the geography of Los Angeles, but not a geography that records the city’s various elevations or its famous tourist attractions. This geography records the absence of movement in a city that is literally grounded in movement, and the things one sees when one can’t help but look: aging glitterati in hot-rods, nail salons, adult bookstores, massage parlors, and so much more. There is no more intimate portrait of the City of Angels than Thirty-Two Erotic Haikus–Mauer loves the city, and he makes sure you know why.

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