You may have seen him hanging out on his stoop, or playing basketball at the park on 38th St. between 31st Ave. and Broadway, or maybe frequenting one of Astoria's many health food stores. Then again, you might have seen him on CSPAN discussing politics or lecturing MIT students on U.S. Foreign Policy. This is Mickey Z., one part self-educated freethinker, one part accomplished author, one part kickboxing instructor, and all parts Astorian.

Born Michael Zezima, Mickey Z. is a rare breed. For one, he is a lifelong Astoria resident, which is a feat in and of itself. But more notable are his accomplishments: An author of five published books, Mickey Z. is an internationally noted social commentator. His works' themes range from keeping a critical eye on the militaristic actions of the U.S. government, uncovering the true life of the struggling artist, and providing insight into the rich past of New York City. His published books include:

Saving Private Power: The Hidden History of "The Good War" A radical history of WWII. All the stuff Tom Brokaw and Steven Spielberg left out. It will be re-released in paperback as "There is No Good War" by Vox Pop in spring 2005. The Murdering of My Years: Artists and Activists Making Ends Meet A collection of stories from artists and activists struggling to remain true to their mission within our stifling commodity culture. A Gigantic Mistake: Articles and Essays for Your Intellectual Self-Defense A collection of over 40 of Mickey's published articles and essays on a wide range of topics, plus a handful of his haikus. Forgotten New York: Small Slices of a Big Apple To be released Spring 2005. It contains facts and stories about NYC that have somehow stayed under the radar. The Seven Deadly Spins: Exposing the Lies Behind War Propaganda (2004) A candid and extremely relevant look at the U.S.'s justification for incessant war.

In addition to print media, such as Veg News and NYPress, Mickey regularly writes for several online publications including Press Action, ZNet, Counterpunch, Street News, and Dissident Voice. Mickey maintains a thorough blog, complete with segments of his writings, links to articles, and news commentaries at www.mickeyz.net. You can also purchase his books at his website or at Amazon.

Mickey has witnessed his beloved Astoria change over the years like no other. He's an area native that blends well with the newly migrating alternative lifestyles. For one, Mickey is a diehard vegan, and it wasn't until the past couple of years that vegetarian-friendly establishments started popping up all around the neighborhood, like Sai Organics, CUP, and J.J.’s Grand Tofu. For a more in depth look at vegetarian dining in Astoria, take a look at an piece Mickey has written, appropriately entitled, A Vegan in Astoria.

Mickey writes often about his neighborhood, and speaks highly of Astoria, "The rest of Queens, to me, is more like Nassau county. Astoria blends the urban with the suburban like no where else." He goes on to reveal some of his mixed feelings over Astoria's recent gentrification period, "Every new group brings new ideas and new perspectives. That's never a bad thing.... As hard it might be to believe when you see Starbucks, Kinkos, and Victoria's Secret, Astoria was once a neighborhood of small Mom-and-Pop shops. That change is not positive. On the other hand, the influx of so many immigrants has been amazing. Don't get me wrong...I went to school with kids from many countries but Astoria is now a meeting place for the world. More recently, the declaration of Astoria as "hip" has been a mixed blessing. Good because we have interesting people flocking here. Bad because gentrification always results in the displacement of some old schoolers."

What Critics Are Saying About Mickey Z.: "Professional iconoclast..." - New York Newsday "Political provocateur..." - Time Out New York "Acerbic wit and dogged interrogation of accepted wisdom...matches Chomsky in breadth of source material and in the scalding heat of his moral outrage..." - New Internationalist "Iconoclastic and bold..." - Howard Zinn "Bukowski filtered through historical materialism..." - Jordy Cummings "Very similar to the stuff Emma Goldman was saying back in 1898..." - Chuck Munson, Infoshop News "Deserves to be classed: Noam Chomsky, William Blum, and Howard Zinn." - Tracy McLellen "Has a sharp eye which sees what most miss..." - Joe Connelly, editor of Veg News "In the tradition of Zinn and Galeano..." - David Barsamian, Alternative Radio "How can one be so sweet and yet so fierce?" - Sander Hicks, founder of Soft Skull Press

Mickey echoes another startling change to life in the neighborhood, the escalating price of Astoria's real estate. "The faux-hemians have moved in and landlords and real estate brokers are salivating. Like some sort of mass hypnosis, we suddenly all agree with them that a house going for, say, 200k a a few years ago is worth 700k now. Depressing." Unlike many of his colleagues that came before him, Mickey Z., an avid reader of history, is entirely self-educated. His formal schooling began and ended in Astoria. "I learned to think for myself and discovered my own path...for better or for worse," says Mickey, "Also, not having college loans to pay off is a perk." A half Italian, half Irish, first generation American, he attended St. Patrick's Grammar School and Mater Christi High School (now St. John's Prep). A former bandmate, Astoria's City Council Member, Peter F. Vallone, recently said about Mickey, "You write well; it's too bad you're on the wrong side." Yes that's right - real-life dramatic foils, Mickey Z. and City Council Member Vallone, were in a rock band together in their teen years. Micky lives with his wife of 10 years, Michele, a physical therapist. They met at a gym 15 years ago, where both of them worked. Mickey had hired her. Today Mickey is constantly busy in some sort of project, often with Michele at his side. Whether he is promoting his books and social awareness, or just trying to change the world, Mickey is a force that extends the bounds of our community. In the last few months, he's been on Canadian radio, Texas Vegan radio, CSPAN, a featured guest at several readings and events, and virtually all over the internet, just to name a few. On December 12, Mickey and fellow Queens author, Richard Joseph, will be co-hosting a fundraiser at Bar Matchless in Brooklyn, to raise money for poverty stricken youth in Bolivia. Learn More About OPERATION: BOLIVIA As for his plans for the future, Mickey vowes to "Keep doing what I'm doing...with an eye on reaching a wider audience." Agree with him or not, buy his books or burn them, regardless of what "side" you may be on, one thing is certain - Mickey Z. is a true Astorian. Support your local artists! To learn more about Mickey Z., or to purchase his writings, please visit www.mickeyz.net. To contact Mickey Z., email info@mickeyz.net