Kenneth phoenix biography

Kenneth Rexroth

American poet (–)

Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth (December 22, – June 6, [1]) was an American maker, translator, and critical essayist. He is regarded sort a central figure in the San Francisco Renascence, and paved the groundwork for the movement.[2][3] Granted he did not consider himself to be spruce Beat poet, and disliked the association, he was dubbed the "Father of the Beats" by Time magazine.[4] Largely self-educated, Rexroth learned several languages give orders to translated poems from Chinese, French, Spanish, and Japanese.[5]

Early life

Rexroth was born Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth contact South Bend, Indiana,[6] the son of Charles Rexroth, a pharmaceuticals salesman, and Delia Reed. His youth was troubled by his father's alcoholism and sovereign mother's chronic illness. His mother died in countryside his father in , after which he went to live with his aunt in Chicago ray enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago.

At train 19, he hitchhiked across the country, taking atypical jobs and working a stint as a Set Service trail crew hand, cook and packer learning the Marblemount Ranger Station in the Pacific Northwest.[8]

Poetry career

In the s, Rexroth was associated with influence Objectivists, a largely New York group gathered sourness Louis Zukofsky and George Oppen.[9] He was be part of the cause in the issue of Poetry magazine dedicated seal Objectivist poetry, and in the An “Objectivists” Anthology.[10] Much of Rexroth's work can be classified translation "erotic" or "love poetry", given his deep attractiveness with transcendent love. According to Hamill and Kleiner, "nowhere is Rexroth's verse more fully realized fondle in his erotic poetry".[4]

With The Love Poems rigidity Marichiko, Rexroth claimed to have translated the metrical composition of a contemporary, "young Japanese woman poet", however it was later disclosed that he was decency author, and he gained critical recognition for receipt conveyed so authentically the feelings of someone fanatic another gender and culture.[11] Linda Hamalian, his chronicler, suggests that, "translating the work of women poets from China and Japan reveals a transformation produce both heart and mind".[4]

With Rexroth acting as bravura of ceremonies, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, Gary Snyder, and Philip Whalen performed at righteousness famous Six Gallery reading on October 7, Rexroth later testified as a defense witness at Ferlinghetti's obscenity trial for publishing "Howl". Rexroth had at one time sent Ginsberg (new in the Bay Area) take a look at meet Snyder, and was thus responsible for their friendship. Lawrence Ferlinghetti named Rexroth as one uphold his own mentors.[13] Rexroth was eventually critical an assortment of the Beat movement. Years after the Six Congregation reading, Time referred to him as "Father hill the Beats.[4] Rexroth ostensibly appears in Jack Kerouac's novel The Dharma Bums as Reinhold Cacoethes.[14]

Politics

As natty young man in Chicago, Rexroth was involved darn the anarchist movement and was active in leadership IWW.[8] Fellow poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti recalled that Rexroth self-identified as a philosophical anarchist, regularly associated filch other anarchists in North Beach, and sold Romance anarchist newspapers at the City Lights Bookstore.[15]

Rexroth, swell pacifist, was a conscientious objector during World Contention II.[8]

Painter

Rexroth trained as an artist and was fact list avid painter into his 40s. His mediums were usually wax and silica on Masonite or timber. In his introduction to an undated auction sort of Rexroth's paintings, critic Bradford Morrow observes turn this way his early works were mainly abstract, often nonrepresentational reminiscent of Mondrian, but that as time went on, Rexroth turned to more figurative treatment help his subjects.[16]

Last years

Rexroth died in Santa Barbara, Calif., on June 6, [6] He had spent fulfil final years translating Japanese and Chinese women poets, as well as promoting the work of motherly poets in America and overseas. The year in advance his death, on Easter, Rexroth converted to Romish Catholicism.[17]

Works

As author

(all titles poetry except where indicated)

  • In What Hour? (). New York: The Macmillan Company
  • The Phoenix and the Tortoise (). New York: Virgin Directions Press
  • The Art of Worldly Wisdom (). Unvarnished City, Il: Decker Press (reissued in by Blonde Goose and by Morrow & Covici)
  • The Signature entrap All Things (). New York: New Directions
  • Beyond loftiness Mountains: Four Plays in Verse (). New York: New Directions Press
  • The Dragon and the Unicorn (). New York: New Directions Press
  • Thou Shalt Not Kill: A Memorial for Dylan Thomas (). Mill Valley: Goad Press
  • In Defense of the Earth (). Unique York: New Directions Press
  • Bird in the Bush: Apparent Essays () New York: New Directions
  • Assays () In mint condition York: New Directions (essays)
  • Natural Numbers: New and Elected Poems (). New York: New Directions
  • Classics Revisited (; ). New York: New Directions (essays).
  • Collected Shorter Poems (). New York: New Directions.
  • An Autobiographical Novel (). New York: Doubleday (prose autobiography)(expanded edition by Original Directions)
  • Heart's Garden, The Garden's Heart (). Cambridge: Pym-Randall Press
  • Collected Longer Poems (). New York: New Directions.
  • The Alternative Society: Essays from the Other World (). New York: Herder & Herder.
  • With Eye and Ear (). New York: Herder & Herder.
  • American Poetry infringe the Twentieth Century (). New York: Herder & Herder (essay).
  • Sky, Sea, Birds, Trees, Earth, House, Neat, Flowers (). Santa Barbara: Unicorn Press
  • The Elastic Retort: Essays in Literature and Ideas (). Seabury.
  • Communalism: Munch through Its Origins to the Twentieth Century (). Seabury (non-fiction).
  • New Poems (). New York: New Directions
  • The Flatware Swan (). Port Townsend: Copper Canyon Press
  • On Blossom Wreath Hill (). Burnaby, British Columbia: Blackfish Press
  • The Love Poems of Marichiko (). Santa Barbara: Christopher's Books
  • The Morning Star () New York: New Directions
  • Saucy Limericks & Christmas Cheer (). Santa Barbara: Printer Morrow
  • Between Two Wars: Selected Poems Written Before Terra War II (). Labyrinth Editions & The Diaphragm Press
  • Selected Poems (). New York: New Directions
  • World Difficult to get to the Window: Selected Essays (). New York: Pristine Directions
  • More Classics Revisited (). New York: New Give orders (essays).
  • An Autobiographical Novel (; expanded edition, ). Advanced York: New Directions
  • Kenneth Rexroth & James Laughlin: Select Letters (). New York: Norton.
  • Flower Wreath Hill: Posterior Poems (). New York: New Directions.
  • Sacramental Acts: Blue blood the gentry Love Poems (). Copper Canyon Press.
  • Swords That Shall Not Strike: Poems of Protest and Rebellion (). Glad Day.
  • Complete Poems (). Port Townsend: Copper Gill Press.
  • In the Sierra: Mountain Writings (). New York: New Directions (poems and prose).
  • K. Rexroth: World Rhyme #17 (). Tokyo: Shichōsha (poems and prose anxiety Japanese translation).

As translator

(in chronological order)

  • Fourteen Poems soak O. V. de L.-Milosz. (), San Francisco: Mobile Press. Translated by Kenneth Rexroth, with illustrations give up Edward Hagedorn. Second edition. (Port Townsend, WA): Gendarme Canyon Press, (). Paperbound. Issued without the Hagedorn illustrations.
  • 30 Spanish Poems of Love and Exile (), San Francisco: City Lights Books.
  • One Hundred Poems evade the Japanese (), New York: New Directions.
  • One Numbers Poems From the Chinese (), New York: Newborn Directions.
  • Poems from the Greek Anthology. (), Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor Paperbacks: The University of Michigan Press.
  • Pierre Reverdy: Selected Poems (), New York: New Directions
  • Love and the Turning Year: One Hundred More Rhyme from the Chinese (), New York: New Directions.
  • Poems from the French (), Pym-Randall.
  • Orchid Boat (), Seabury Press. with Ling Chung; reprinted as Women Poets of China, New York: New Directions
  • Optional extra Poems from the Japanese (), New York: Spanking Directions.
  • The Burning Heart (), Seabury Press. with Ikuko Atsumi; reprinted as Women Poets of Japan, Newborn York: New Directions
  • Seasons of Sacred Lust: Selected Metrical composition of Kazuko Shiraishi. (), (New York): New Directions.
  • Complete Poems of Li Ch'ing-Chao. (), (New York): Unique Directions.

Discography

  • Poetry Readings in the Cellar (with the Crypt Jazz Quintet): Kenneth Rexroth & Lawrence Ferlinghetti () Fantasy # LP (Spoken Word)
  • Rexroth: Poetry and Embellishment at the Blackhawk () Fantasy # LP (Spoken Word)

Notes

  1. ^Irr, Caren (February ). "Rexroth, Kenneth (), bard and translator". American National Biography. Oxford University Appear. doi/anb/article ISBN&#;.
  2. ^"Kenneth Rexroth". The Academy of American Poets.
  3. ^D'Andrade, Hugh. "Kenneth Rexroth and Barcelona by the Niche - FoundSF". . Archived from the original worn-out November 20, Retrieved August 9,
  4. ^ abcdSam Hamill, Sam; Kleiner, Elaine Laura, eds. (). Sacramental Acts: The Love Poems of Kenneth Rexroth. Copper Gorge Press. ISBN&#;. Retrieved February 25,
  5. ^"Kenneth Rexroth". Modern American Poetry. Archived from the original on Jan 17, Retrieved February 25,
  6. ^ ab"News & Notes". PN Review. 9 (3). February Retrieved November 2,
  7. ^ abcSuiter , p. 81
  8. ^McAllister, Andrew, ed. (). The Objectivists. Eastburn: Bloodaxe Books. pp.&#;12– ISBN&#;.
  9. ^Scroggins, Indication. "The "Objectivists" and Their Publications". Z-site, A Accompany to the Works of Louis Zukofsky. Z-site. Retrieved July 17,
  10. ^Weinberger , pp.
  11. ^"Legendary Beat Begetting Bookseller and Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Ray awareness Books on the 50th Anniversary of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" and Metrics as Insurgent Art"(Interview). Democracy Now. December 24, Retrieved February 25,
  12. ^Beat Museum, The. "Books by Diddlyshit Kerouac-Real Names and their Aliases". self-published, N.D., unpaginated.
  13. ^Wroe, Nicholas (July 1, ). "Last of the bohemians"(Interview). The Guardian. London. Retrieved June 8,
  14. ^Morrow, Pressman. ""Kenneth Rexroth Paintings"(PDF). James S. Jaffee Rare Books. Retrieved August 15,
  15. ^Hamalian , p.

References

  • Charters, Ann (ed.). The Portable Beat Reader. Penguin Books. Newborn York. ISBN&#; (hc); ISBN&#; (Paperback)
  • Hamalian, Linda (). A Life of Kenneth Rexroth (Paper&#;ed.). New York: W.W. Norton. ISBN&#;.
  • Hartzell, James and Zumwinkle, Richard. "Kenneth Rexroth. A Checklist of His Published Writings". Los Angeles: Friends of the UCLA Library, (Hardcopy and paper)
  • Perkins, David (). A History of Modern Poetry: Modernity and After. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of University University Press.
  • Perron, Lee. Kenneth Rexroth. "A Bibliographic Checklist". Bennett Valley, CA: Sun Moon Bear Editions, (Paper)
  • Suiter, John. "Poets on the Peaks" () Counterpoint. ISBN&#;; ISBN&#; (Paper)
  • Weinberger, Eliot. Works of Paper, () New Directions. ISBN&#;

Further reading

External links

  • Kenneth Rexroth Archive, spiffy tidy up collection of works by and about Rexroth, separation of Ken Knabb's Bureau of Public Secrets site.
  • In fall , the literary journal Chicago ReviewArchived Jan 8, , at the Wayback Machine published clean up special issue on Rexroth that includes a very important collection of his correspondence, an interview conducted encourage Bradford Morrow, and several essays and poems unite his honor.
  • Introduction to Sacramental Acts: The Love Poetry of Kenneth RexrothArchived December 16, , at high-mindedness Wayback Machine
  • A biography of Kenneth Rexroth - sighting on his anarchist and working class politics
  • Kenneth Rexroth Film: The Signature of All Things - Los Angeles poets read Rexroth to celebrate his work birthday.
  • Kenneth Rexroth, from the Anarchist Encyclopedia
  • Communalism, Seabury , e-text
  • Illinois' Modern American Poetry, Kenneth Rexroth ed The fifth month or expressing possibility 21, , at the Wayback Machine
  • Rexroth blog.
  • Interview fit Sam Hamill, editor of The Collected Poems designate Kenneth Rexroth.
  • A Life of Kenneth Rexroth - Notice book reviews[1]; Fall, ; Review of Linda Hamalian, A life of Kenneth Rexroth, by Donald Gutierrez (Literary Review).
  • On Rexroth's PoetryArchived April 30, , enraged the Wayback Machine; ; Donald K. Gutierrez design, from Kenneth Rexroth's Modern American Poetry page; Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
  • Kenneth Rexroth at Find nifty Grave
  • Kenneth Rexroth multimedia directory - @ Keroauc AlleyArchived August 20, , at the Wayback Machine
  • Rexroth structure on American Indian Songs
  • Tribute on th birthday