William Carlos Williams

William Carlos Williams, 1924 – photo – Man Ray

Today marks the anniversary of the death, March 4,1963, of William Carlos Williams, Allen’s mentor. As per usual, we’ll send you to the incomparable Pennsound, where a grand trove of Williams recordings are kept.  We’re singling out today – this one  (a reading that took place at his home in Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 6, 1954).

Williams reads here the following works – “The Descent”,  “To Daphne and Virginia”,  “The Orchestra”,  “For Eleanor and Bill Monahan”, “The Yellow Flower”  “The Host”  “Of Asphodel, That Greeny Flower” (excerpt),  “Catholic Bells“,  “The Botticellian Trees”Smell!“,  “Fish” , “Primrose”, “To Elsie” ,  “Between Walls”“On Gay Wallpaper” , “The Red Lily”  and  “Seafarer” 

See also the resources at the William Carlos Williams Society (including this page from New Directions)

and numerous previous postings on The Allen Ginsberg Project.  For example,  here and here and here

Alexandre Ferrere writes on “Mechanics and Poetics – William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg” for Beatdomhere

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