It’s Gary Snyder‘s 90th birthday! – We thought to celebrate the occasion with a portfolio of a number of choice photographs of Gary by Allen.
Happy Birthday, Gary!
Gary Snyder, Allen’s kitchen, New York City, March 1991. Immortalized as Japhy Ryder in Kerouac’s Dharma Bums, Allen early on wrote of him: “Gary Snyder a bearded youth of 26, also from the Northwest, formerly a lumberjack and seaman, student of literature and anthropology who had lived with American Indians and taken the religious drug peyote with them, and who is now occupied in the study of Chinese and Japanese preparatory for the drunken silence of a Zen monastery in Japan”, later writing: “he is one of the most virtuous, visionarily inspired as well as intellectually grounded American poets of this half century, a legend in his own lifetime..” (photo: Allen Ginsberg)
“Gary Snyder in his backyard hut, Berkeley, I’d met him that month referred by Kenneth Rexroth – he was studying Chinese, preparing for residence in Kyoto Zen monastery a year later, rode bicycle, prepared tea, showed me poems in springboard binder, I recognized W.C. Williams’ influence, like on mine.” [photo & caption: Allen Ginsberg courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate / Stanford University Libraries/Getty Images
Gary Snyder, Kausani, India February 1962 – ” (…) we made pilgrimage to Buddhist sacred sites, here visiting Lama Anagarika Govinda who lived on nearby ridge. Snyder & Joanne were visiting from Kyoto, Peter & I had come from Tangier.” (Ginsberg caption modified from similar image) photo & caption: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries/Allen Ginsberg Estate)
Gary Snyder Kyoto Summer 1963 in Cafe, at rest, Juniken-doro Street, Kita-ku section near Datoku-ji temple where he studied. (photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries/Allen Ginsberg Estate)
Gary Snyder, his small house-garden on Nishinomiya-cho, Kita-ku section near Dai-Tokuji Temple, in monk’s traveling outfit, wearing Unsui’s indigo-dyed cotton training robe (koromo), square hand-sewn Rakusu cloth hung round neck symbolic of older Indian Buddhist Patchwork robes, thick belt to guard zazen sitting posture & belly-warmth, and dark-browned Ajirokasa basket-hat stained with juice of green persimmons. Kyoto, Japan July 1963. (caption & photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries/Allen Ginsberg Estate)
Gary Snyder, outside Shanghai, China, October 1984. photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries/Allen Ginsberg Estate)
Gary Snyder, March 1986 – photo: Allen Ginsberg courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate / Stanford University Libraries
Gary Snyder, Kitkidizzi, May, 1988 – photo: Allen Ginsberg courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate / Stanford University Libraries
Gary Snyder, New York City, March 1991 – photo: Allen Ginsberg courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate / Stanford University Libraries
“Lois Snyder Hennessy in her 80’th year Grass Valley California, difficult mother, son Gary Snyder presenting birthday cake April 2, 1986.” – photo & caption: Allen Ginsberg courtesy Allen Ginsberg Estate / Stanford University Libraries
Gary Snyder, Prototype of Kerouac’s “Dharma Bums” (1957) fictional hero leading the way sauntering by Alpine stream in Northern Cascades, Washington State’s Glacier Peak Wilderness area, we went on light-day backpack to climb Glacier Peak tops, ice ax & crampons; Snyder was back from near-decade in Kyoto studying and practicing Zazen. My first mountain walk, August 1965. (Ginsberg caption) photo snapped by Martene Algiers, c. Allen Ginsberg Estate
but of course, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
and, of course, MAY YOU HAVE MANY MORE!!!
as many as you wish…
Happy Birthday Gary. Please make another visit to Seattle.
Nine bows,
Michael Daizan Lyons
Daizanlyons@gmail.com
Happy birthday. Be well.
hermosas fotografías… cuánta inspiración y luz emana el espíritu que habita en Snyder…
May you have a long life and teach us more!
Hope your fine Gary.
Thanks for your poetry of Life…
Bless you, Gary. Be well!