In his newly released poetry book, "Somewhere Else," SF State ethnic studies lecturer, Matthew Shenoda, reveals his view that memories of history - and history itself - are never lost, rather they are living on within people.

Shenoda's debut poetry book, featuring an introduction by poet Sonia Sanchez, is a powerful and moving work filled with realizations Shenoda drew from his cultural heritage in the Nile River Valley.

The book breaks apart history through Shenoda's eyes, and in doing so, helps readers to understand their ancestry in relation to their present identities.

One of the goals of the book is to help people extract the essence of things and not to get caught up singling out all the details, Shenoda said.

"It's a manifesto towards justice, but I'm not trying to shape anybody's political ideas," said Shenoda, who views his poems as a platform for building new artistic and ideological communities.

"One of art's main goals is to get in touch with your humanity, to learn about yourselves," he said.

Shenoda will be reading from his new book at Modern Times Bookstore at 888 Valencia St. in San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 and in November he will be doing a series of readings throughout New York City.

He said his passion for performing poetry can be traced back to his deep love for the words of Bob Marley and the entire consciousness of the black arts movement beginning in the 1960s, which helped him set his vision to a form and a tempo.

"Poetry and music are one in the same," said Shenoda, who said he believes that a poem is never complete until it is spoken.

Shenoda, who is in contact with the oral tradition of his Egyptian ancestral lineage and the cadence and rhythms of jazz, hip hop and reggae, said his poetry came to him through the music itself.

"But it's not about me, it's more about telling the story of my community," he said.

Shenoda said that when he teaches, it is an extension of his art and that writing and teaching come from the same "mother."

Without a rigid objective, Shenoda said his teaching style offers a forum within the classroom where he and his students can all celebrate their different cultural expressions and commonalities, carrying on the lineage of their stories.

"Poetry is one of the most undervalued expressions in this society," said Shenoda. "We need to focus our attention and devotion to the arts, to build a cross cultural dialogue and conversation."

Many students who have class in the Ethnic Studies and Psychology building said they know of Shenoda and the poet said he feels blessed to have his work so well received by fellow poets and students.

"He's giving writing that ethnic studies lens, he's not afraid to talk about race," said George Rivas, 22, a senior at SF State majoring in Raza Studies.

Rivas said he got to know Shenoda quite well after traveling with him to Cuba last year and is now a colleague of his at the recently opened East Oakland Community High School. Shenoda teaches a writing class there on Mondays and Rivas teaches Photography.

"He's going to push these kids, if you can supply support them, that's all they need sometimes," said Rivas, who smiled when he tried to explain Shenoda's personality.

According to Rivas, Shenoda is a serious person who is afraid to show his sense of humor, and yet it comes across in subtle and controversial ways.

An example of this goes back to the sixth grade when Shenoda told a classroom of third graders that Santa Clause didn't exist, he wouldn't lie to them.

"I'm not writing poetry for poets," said Shenoda. "I'm writing poetry for people, all kinds of people."