http://www.cnn.com/2001/books/news/01/19/bc.obit.corso.ap/index.html
Was he the last of the Beats? Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, and him. Is Neal Cassady still around? Was there anyone else? Or is this it?
There was Herbert Huncke, the Loveable Junkie. He died a few years back, though. There was Michael McClure, who I’m pretty sure is defunct, too. Cassady died in 1968, full of amphetamines, by the side of a railroad track in Texas.
Gary Snyder is still alive and well and living in California: he’s the Buddhist nature poet (RIPRAP and COLD MOUNTAIN POEMS were two of his first books) who served as the inspiration for the protagonist, Japhy Ryder, of Kerouac’s novel THE DHARMA BUMS. I believe Snyder is the last of the original crew.
I saw a mention of Corso’s death on the front page of the New York Times on Friday, but it was one of those days when they stuck the obits in the back of the Sports section or the Business section, which I always throw away immediately. I read an obit asomewhere else, which provided some interesting info: Corso never got the press of the other Beats because he hated publicity…he used to mock Ginsberg and his public relations strategy, snickering at his “holy” pretensions and calling him “Ginzy.”
I see on Amazon.com that MINDFIELD: NEW AND SELECTED POEMS is out of stock with the publisher. Too damn bad. Good collection.
Whoopsie! Michael McClure is still alive!
http://www.thing.net/~grist/l&d/mcclure/mcclure.htm
Sorry 'bout that, Mike.
Huh. I didn’t hear about this till today. Too bad.
When Ginsberg died in 1996, Corso gave a one word eulogy: “Toodle-oo”.
Toodle-oo, Gregory.
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is alive and well as the poete laurette of San Francisco. Last I heard he was proposing that we paint the GG Gold, and still running city lights books.
I’d also venture a guess that Bruce Connor is still alive.
Sadly, I wasn’t very familiar with Gregory. RIP
from Marriage
But I should get married I should be good
How nice it’d be to come home to her
and sit by the fireplace and she in the kitchen
aproned young and lovely wanting my baby
and so happy about me she burns the roast beef
and comes crying to me and I get up from my big papa chair
saying Christmas teeth! Radiant brains! Apple deaf!
God what a husband I’d make! Yes, I should get married!
So much to do! Like sneaking into Mr Jones’ house late at night and cover his golf clubs with 1920 Norwegian books
Like hanging a picture of Rimbaud on the lawnmower
like pasting Tannu Tuva postage stamps all over the picket fence like when Mrs Kindhead comes to collect for the Community Chest grab her and tell her There are unfavorable omens in the sky!
And when the mayor comes to get my vote tell him
When are you going to stop people killing whales!
And when the milkman comes leave him a note in the bottle
Penguin dust, bring me penguin dust, I want penguin dust-