tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post6483336812694729828..comments2024-03-19T21:14:01.007-07:00Comments on The Compass Rose: Darrell Gray - RIPCurtis Favillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-72752150393859633832018-08-03T07:31:29.967-07:002018-08-03T07:31:29.967-07:00I can't say why Darrell Gray showed up in my c...I can't say why Darrell Gray showed up in my consciousness this morning. I didn't write poetry. I wasn't a grad of the Writer's Workshop.I was one of the girlfriends that tagged along and listened to the poet's talk, barely having a clue as to what they were trying to say and too shy to speak up and ask questions. Darrell did eventually have a girlfriend which was a surprise because he was so introverted and difficult to relate to, being considered the genius of the group of "actualists". (I was Jon Sjoberg's girlfriend for two years starting around 1972). I was with the group when Alan Kornblum showed off his first press for his small zines. It was exciting years later when I moved to Minneapolis and found out that Coffee House Press had become a big deal in the world of small, independent presses. <br />Alan Kornblum died not too long ago. Sad to know that Darrell Gray died so young. I don't know if Jon Sjoberg is still alive, or Morty Sklar or Chuck Miller, who I've run into at Iowa City several time over the past decade. They were all dreamers with big dreams and I will never forget them. Even with being shy, I learned about poets and poetry from them and still read it today (and write a bit from time to time).. Even as I was angry at the sexism that seemed to prevail in the group, I can forgive them as young and vulnerable men on a challenging journey. maryalterwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06795395429133543226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-80464082632145876322016-11-25T21:11:16.499-08:002016-11-25T21:11:16.499-08:00just heard today that big John Birkbeck--another r...just heard today that big John Birkbeck--another rogue Iowa City poet from those days just passed away--his lovely little collection Donnell's for which David Maurice wrote the back blurb (itself an admirable piece of swirl) is never too far from my line of sight in my studio--John was a brilliant and dedicated orator who also had something no one else i knew had at that time--a steady high paying job as Van Allen's illustrator in the Physics Department--the benefits of which he generously spread among lesser mortals in the form of republicans and democrats and even the occasional gift of a pitcher--dear John--TenderPaws Yogahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16488378038112904256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-11569313751980076532013-05-05T08:33:40.302-07:002013-05-05T08:33:40.302-07:00And let's not forget Anselm.
I'm sure A...And let's not forget Anselm. <br /><br />I'm sure Anselm and Darrell are sitting somewhere, smoking, chuckling, and telling stories. Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-4049242499756864182013-05-05T08:32:19.069-07:002013-05-05T08:32:19.069-07:00John:
Thanks for looking and for your transmissio...John:<br /><br />Thanks for looking and for your transmission to Darrell. <br /><br />I know he's chuckling in hyperspace as he watches and listens.<br /><br />If he were still here, he might be able to show us his new work, which we won't get to read unless we enter heaven too. Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-78518303877891865002013-05-05T07:35:48.963-07:002013-05-05T07:35:48.963-07:00Oh Darrell Gray! The Catastrophic UNrush of Beau...Oh Darrell Gray! The Catastrophic UNrush of Beauty. You see, here in timeles space, here we are again, Iowa City 1969-71, and Bay Area, 72-75, we met and drank and laughed in the night. You and Patty O'Donnell visited Trudy and some in Palo Alto. Have your voice on casette recordings (Turkeytail Review 1975) and yr sweet soul embedded in my heart beating still here tonite. your line drawings, felt tip pen fading in the sun, bright as birds who are smarter because they fly. Goodnight sweet prince, may your Collected materialize someday soon now. Yrs ever in the night, John Batkikilimologuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05930978676017585362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-41176573422886659092011-12-26T14:03:25.900-08:002011-12-26T14:03:25.900-08:00Gary:
Did you know Denis Johnson? Steve Toth?
...Gary:<br /><br />Did you know Denis Johnson? Steve Toth? <br /><br />The undergrad workshop had its own scene.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-79780897471179141892011-12-26T09:02:45.603-08:002011-12-26T09:02:45.603-08:00i don't remember you wither Curtis--Norman is ...i don't remember you wither Curtis--Norman is still a good friend of mine--he wrote the blurb on the back of my last 2 books--<br /><br />And i occasionally played golf with marvin and sam hamill back before marvin gave up the game and sam moved to anacortes.<br /><br />I studied with don justice as well--great poker player--great poet. Of the names you mention i knew david st. john--david romvedt was also there and i ran into him later in port townsend where he was very involved in the local fiddletunes workshops.<br /><br />Didn't know the great photographer paul conklin but do know david his son and his ex-wife--also from iowa--jane champion--jane and i collaborated on a couple video projects.<br /><br />I was in the undergraduate workshop--you were likely in the graduate workshop given the names you mention--i was in 4 consecutive undergraduate workshops and accepted into the graduate program when i decided to head north--alaska pipeline--never regretted it.<br /><br />i think of daryll very fondly--pull out "Something Swims Out" once in a while just to remember his work--remember his contribution--<br /><br />blessingsTenderPaws Yogahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16488378038112904256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-57537210367403733982011-09-06T08:33:36.938-07:002011-09-06T08:33:36.938-07:00Gary Lemons:
Iowa.
I was there 1969-1972. I don...Gary Lemons:<br /><br />Iowa.<br /><br />I was there 1969-1972. I don't remember you. <br /><br />People tended to hang out with those in their class, I think. It was a two year program. Norman Dubie, Barrett Watten, Robert Harris, Jane Shore, Roger Weingarten, Robert Funt, Alice Notley, Sherry Lougheed, Elizabeth Libby, Wendy Salinger, Suzanne Zwinger, Thomas Rabbitt, David St. John, Greg Simon--they were my contemporaries. Many others whose names I've forgotten. <br /><br />Did you know me? <br /><br />Ever run into Marvin Bell (in Port Townsend)? <br /><br />Or Paul Conklin?--he was my step-cousin--died, I think, in 2004. A major photojournalist. His son David still has a photographic studio there.<br /><br />PM me, and we'll talk.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-38395592641594958532011-09-05T16:44:15.828-07:002011-09-05T16:44:15.828-07:00i knew Darrell back then--I came to the Writer'...i knew Darrell back then--I came to the Writer's Workshop in 1970--he'd just graduated and was a few years older than me and i very much admired him--i read with him at a place called the Sanctuary--1971 I think and we collaborated on a couple of poems--one of which i still have--he was a brilliant, sad, lovely man for whom the rain was a place to hide--and so many nights spent walking in it between the Vine and Donnellys==down the alley connecting them in already out of style pea coats with the hoods up and a pipe of mostly seeds like a sparkler exchanged between hands--a good man--a good poet--vaya con dios Darrell--see you some day again.<br /><br />gary lemons<br />port townsend, washingtongary lemonshttp://garylemons.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-68160910981587397292011-07-20T03:40:22.054-07:002011-07-20T03:40:22.054-07:00Curtis: always good to see Darrell swim into focu...Curtis: always good to see Darrell swim into focus. Of course there should be a Collected (the two books George published are among the very few poets' books -- Whalen another -- I re-open). As I remember, after Darrell's body was discovered everything in his room was sent to the city dump. Alastair Johnston and Jim Nisbet went and combed the dump and retrieved whatever they could... some notebooks, other odds and ends. So there's possibly more work than an amalgam of the already-published. George would know the copyright situation of the Blue Wind Press books.<br />best, TomTom Raworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01917743465756906412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-1340973268111974512011-07-08T20:18:28.134-07:002011-07-08T20:18:28.134-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-81576417825947281782011-07-08T18:05:21.592-07:002011-07-08T18:05:21.592-07:00Well, the other guy is right, I think, Curtis. Wr...Well, the other guy is right, I think, Curtis. Writing is copyrighted, too. Even single phrases are the copyright of each blogger.<br /><br />There is a presumption of ownership in other words.<br /><br />At least for writing and painting, this is true, so I assume it holds for photographs as well.<br /><br /><br />The presumption is that it's owned. Wiki pedia does have many images that are public domain, but they should be marked as such before we use them.<br /><br />Obviously, this is not going to be challenged in court unless someone has deep pockets. But it's like not butting in line.<br /><br />We shouldn't do it. I've done it in the past but largely because I can't easily find out who owns an image, and I try to use images that are basically public domain.Kirby Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05952289700191142943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-34721296294573719512011-07-08T15:54:18.529-07:002011-07-08T15:54:18.529-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-48394131380726576922011-07-08T15:39:43.626-07:002011-07-08T15:39:43.626-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.laslaw01https://www.blogger.com/profile/07555045050121661786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-3716284968839513702011-07-07T13:02:54.151-07:002011-07-07T13:02:54.151-07:00Kornblum has stepped down from his managerial posi...Kornblum has stepped down from his managerial position at Coffee House Press.<br /><br />I don't have any info about Darrell's collected poems. I suppose there must be about 400 pages--at least. Is this a copyright issue? Is there a literary executor? <br /><br />It would be nice to have, of course.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-32820160494409619732011-07-07T12:20:04.574-07:002011-07-07T12:20:04.574-07:00Curtis -- very nice tribute to Darrell. He was an...Curtis -- very nice tribute to Darrell. He was an excellent poet whose work should have had wider appreciation. As George says he might have survived had his success as a poet been acknowledged by more than a few friends and fans. Reading these poems again reminded me what a wickedly subtle sense of humor he had. So lacking in the poetry of today. An attempt at a collected poems was made many years ago, shortly after his passing. Apparently Kornblum was involved though I am not aware of all the details. Maybe someone will be inspired by your post and put it on their 'to-do' list. Thanks for the memories.Pat Nolannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-83101768976984995202011-07-07T11:38:02.576-07:002011-07-07T11:38:02.576-07:00George:
The owners of the photos of Darrell did c...George:<br /><br />The owners of the photos of Darrell did complain, so I've added attributions.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-79905857921066652902011-07-07T10:47:50.947-07:002011-07-07T10:47:50.947-07:00"Coming right off the internet" is not a..."Coming right off the internet" is not actually true and you should credit the artists, if you are not going to ask permission. the top one i believe is by David Highsmith, the second one by me, shot in my studio, Poltroon Press, as Darrell was reading proof on HALOS OF DEBRIS, the third is also from my website and was taken by Sheldon Vogel in Santa Barbara and is a detail of a group shot. I only object when people pretend that once something is on line it is free to modify or reuse.<br />Sincerely, Alastair Johnstonpoltroonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05036759189836532017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-8419354809854992642011-07-07T09:47:52.771-07:002011-07-07T09:47:52.771-07:00George:
Obviously, you knew Darrell better than I...George:<br /><br />Obviously, you knew Darrell better than I did.<br /><br />The photos come right off the internet, and are uncredited, insofar as I'm aware. Would anyone take umbrage at my appropriation of them? I doubt it. <br /><br />The online listings for Something Swims Out showed 1975, but I probably would have realized that that was wrong, since I had a copy of the book when I left Iowa City in August 1972. When Darrell visited us that Spring at our farmhouse out on Rural Route 4, he spent the day consuming a whole bottle of Chateau Climens sauternes. He would gladly have spent the night sleeping it off, but I insisted on driving him back to town. <br /><br />I always thought Darrell was more successful than most with his poetry. I think the problem was not that he was "rejected" by the literary world, but that he felt inadequate to engage with it on equal terms. And then, his sense of form and occasion in writing was becoming rapidly more abstract and experimental than the poetry world (of those days). Ironically, the work with which he might have launched a real academic career, he no longer really believed in, or so that's how I see it. I can't imagine Darrell "teaching poetry" in a college--can you?<br /><br />My concern here was to try to show that Actualism doesn't constitute Darrell's "legacy"--something one might think if only reading Silliman's blog. Actualism was a Dada-ist joke as much as an exercise in literary humbuggery. If you don't understand that, you don't understand Darrell. <br /><br />Maybe if he had found a strong companion in those years who understood his weaknesses and could have loved him for himself, he might have persevered. But that was a long-shot. <br /><br />We all miss him.Curtis Favillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213075853354387634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-55393161955441612072011-07-07T09:19:26.974-07:002011-07-07T09:19:26.974-07:00Thanks for this account, Curtis. It all rings true...Thanks for this account, Curtis. It all rings true.<br /><br />Photo credits? (I know these shots but have forgotten who took them.) Also: Ted Berrigan left Iowa City for Ann Arbor in the summer of 1969. Alice Notley joined him later.<br /><br />I see more in Darrell's early works than you do, but then he was my best friend at the time, so that's probably inevitable. That said, I think it was his second book, SCATTERED BRAINS, which is his best.<br /><br />Darrell was deeply into alcohol long before he moved to San Francisco. We shared a house in Iowa City in 1972 (the year that SOMETHING SWIMS OUT was published, btw, not 1975) and Darrell could often (at any time of day or night) be seen drinking a tumbler of what he referred to as a "Bloody Mary," which was barely pink.<br /><br />To Darrell the idea of "movements" in the arts was laughable. (The "Actualist Movement" began as a stoned joke in my living room on South Capitol Street. It morphed into a kind of Dada stunt.) When the Language Poetry movement took off, eventually capturing the mainstream academic world, it left Darrell a bitter spectator.<br /><br />Everything you say about his emotional isolation and insecurity is true as well, but I think he could have survived all of that if he had felt some measure of success as a poet.<br /><br />He may have suffered a heart attack, but clearly he died of a broken heart.George Mattinglyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844284835653397986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-47699038971094091232011-07-04T18:49:30.193-07:002011-07-04T18:49:30.193-07:00Yes. Another friend told me earlier today he'd...Yes. Another friend told me earlier today he'd given up his campaigns to interest the Bancroft Library in furthering its work in oral histories; they're apparently interested only in compensation and neglect their responsibilities. I told him we must all simply go on doing our own work, and write down our thoughts. Your blog has great historical importance and is a generous gift to the future. Besides, it's interesting.Charles Sherehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10480432901356490235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-52045267138309746512011-07-03T16:07:06.148-07:002011-07-03T16:07:06.148-07:00Curtis,
what I take away from this is the tragedy...Curtis,<br /><br />what I take away from this is the tragedy of the misspent 'heart'of poets struggling with addiction. There are so many stories like this in the San Francisco area.<br /><br />This is my first encounter with Gray, & he seems like a fine poet: I also find remarkable that you can write of not a few of these literary figures from personal acquaintance. I appreciate the access into the hidden corners of literary history you provide and that the mainstream won't mention. Steven Fama is good this way, too. <br /><br />It's a very nice kind of homage you pay to writers who would be forgotten if someone, as you say, didn't keep the discussions going online.Conrad DiDiodatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18312831623791642286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660090614793277371.post-79670569739340618052011-07-03T12:19:42.132-07:002011-07-03T12:19:42.132-07:00I have heard a lot about Darrell Gray over the yea...I have heard a lot about Darrell Gray over the years. Codrescu liked him a lot and sings his praises. I have never liked anything that Gray wrote, but I'm not sure why this is so. The language just doesn't dazzle me, I think, and I can't figure out what he's trying to say. What do you think he says in the elephant poem?<br /><br />I do like elephants. The world would be far less interesting without elephants. And donkeys.<br /><br />and aye-ayes!<br /><br />This is probably the most close-up intro to Darrell Gray that I've read. I liked your reading of him as a person and how he'd just "close up."<br /><br />Did he have boyfriends and girlfriends?<br /><br />I also liked how you traced the influence of James Tate back in those days. Thomas Lux's popularity was also due to the streaky streak of surrealism as entertainment with jots of real emotion thrown in.<br /><br />The Billy collins came and capitalized on all that, and it went sour, it seems.<br /><br />It was too successful, perhaps, and also a little bit empty.<br /><br />Or coy.<br /><br />Gregory Corso had incredible powers of recuperation from drink and other drugs. He would be completely deranged, and then pull himself out of it within an hour and be completely coherent again.<br /><br />I don't drink. I do drink tea. I consider tea a vice, because it has caffeine in it, but I still drink it!Kirby Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05952289700191142943noreply@blogger.com