(Garrett Keizer declaring (somewhat surprisingly) – “Had I gotten no further than Allen Ginsberg in America, or even his notorious poem “Howl,” the extent of my youthful transgressions might not have advanced beyond trying to grow a beard. It was the Bible that radicalized me. I came to Marx via the Magnificat, to the peace movement via the Sermon on the Mount..”). Liberation theology
There’s also this – ( (from) Dwight Garner‘s pre-publication review of John Szwed’s Harry Smith biography)
“Szwed, who has also written biographies of similarly protean figures such as Sun Ra, Alan Lomax and Miles Davis, is a perspicacious reporter. He wrestles this material into a loose but sturdy form, as if he were moving a futon. He allows different sides of Smith’s personality to catch blades of sun. He brings the right mixture of reverence and comic incredulity to his task.”
Garner concludes:
“Read this book with a YouTube tab open on your laptop, in addition to Spotify. There’s a lot of material to tap into, and you’ll want to. (Harry) Smith added a great deal to the national stock of peculiarity. He was the worm at the bottom of American culture’s mezcal bottle. You slam the glass down, because his experience still makes you feel alive.”
and, aha! – Happy Birthday Ed! – it’s Ed Sanders 84th birthday today!
We’ll draw your attention to our comprehensive 2021 birthday posting (updated in 2022)
and (invaluable as an entry-point) don’t miss Norman Weinstein on Anselm Hollo’s recently-published Collected Poems
For City Lights at 70 – another celebratory poetry reading this Sunday (August 20, 1-5),
em-ceed once again by Peter Maravelis, with readings by Neeli Cherkovski, Agneta Falk Hirschman, Garrett Caples, Tate Swindell, Micah Ballard… many more.. (see full listing here)
Frank B Wilderson III sings his praises to the store – here and Patti Smith gives a shout-out to the store on her recent visit to the Bay Area