We try not to be too lazily local – American or New York-centric – but this one we just couldn’t resist – goof posters for “Schiti Bank” (sic), part of a pop-up art installation (fake awnings) adorning the legendary Gem Spa in New York on St Mark’s Place (which is currently fighting for its life – for more on that story see here – “Can Instagram and Egg Creams Save The Last Punk Rock Bodega” For more on last weekend’s pop-up intervention see here and here.)
Bill Morgan’s biography of Allen, I Celebrate Myself – The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg, (the more astute readers amongst you will remember), begins with a scene that takes place in front of the shop.
& here’s a photo of Allen posing outside the place (taken by Village Voice photographer, Harvey Wang)
John Giorno‘s present and William Burroughs‘ one-time residence on the Bowery is featured this month in Architectural Digest
from Max Burkhalter‘s photo illustrations for the piece
Robert Frank‘s classic down-town loft/home/studio space was just up the street (as savvy New Yorkers will recall) – 7 Bleecker. Here’s Robert sitting outside (a not untypical pose) comfortably, on his chair
Here’s Daniel Fram‘s image of sunflowers left on the door, following his death – same location – (one of any number of floral tributes)
Another nonagenarian passes – Nanos Valouritis,
the Greek poet, critic, scholar, translator, essayist and novelist, died at the ripe old age of 98 last Friday.
Πάλι (Pali; Anew) his magazine, combined with Allen’s presence there, pretty much introduced Beat culture and Beat writing into Greece in the early ’60’s.
In 1968, he came to America where he became an esteemed professor of comparative literature and creative writing at San Francisco State University, a position he held for twenty-five years. Following his retirement he returned to Greece.
Nanos is profiled and interviewed in 2018 by Maria Espinosa – here
& see/hear him speaking – here on the topic of “Language and Poetry”
On Monday, this past Monday, we learnt of another death (73, from a sudden stroke), New York downtown jazz-aficionado, beat aficionado, poet, collage-artist, ubiquitous presence, Steve Dalachinsky
Profiled here in the Jewish Daily Forward, and here at The Villager.
Read a 2016 interview with him – here and one from 2017 – and a 2018 interview here
Read his monthly column, that he’d been writing, just up until last month, on a regular basis, for The Brooklyn Rail – “Outtakes” – (what an extraordinary compendium of jazz lore!)
WBGO (jazz station) provides an obituary
And yet another loss this week (enough already!) John Cohen, legendary musician, photographer, responsible for some of the most iconic documentary Beat images. You’ll remember this:
this:
this:
not to mention, this:
Plenty more John Cohen images here. (and see here)
From his son, Rufus, (Monday night): “My father John Cohen passed away this evening at home in his living room. David Amram had stopped by and played him Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia” on the old out-of-tune piano. John was gone a couple of minutes later. Last week he said, “Thank you everybody for making me who I was”
Here‘s his New York Times obituary
Our current William Blake focus (we’ve been serializing Allen’s commentary on “America – A Prophecy”) happily coincides with the Tate Gallery William Blake focus, which has resulted in a good many off-shoot William Blake notices,
notably notice of his (Blake’s) influence on music – see John Higgs‘ piece for The Quietus – “Psychedelic Odin – William Blake’s Gift to Musicians” – here
Listen in to Verity Sharp’s show on the BBC”s “Late Junction (another spotlight on Blake music) – here
More literary news – an extraordinary discovery! – Milton’s annotated copy of Shakespeare! – well, is it? – see here and here
Carolyn Cassady passed away six years ago on this day. Remembering fondly, Neal‘s partner and the author of Off The Road, Carolyn Cassady.
& coming soon (September 28, to be precise), the annual international (global) assertion – 100 Thousand Poets For Change