He, Leo (Paperback)

Ewan Clark

ISBN 10: 0870712470 / ISBN 13: 9780870712470

Published by Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. He, Leo investigates the life and work of Beat poet Lew Welch in a chronological fashion, structured around Welchs own notion of how three main aspects of his lifeThe Man, The Mountain, and The Citywere interdependent and how they informed the others in terms of creating his life. From his birth until his disappearance (and presumed death), Welchs life was often defined by problems, both physical and emotional. He had a complex relationship with his mother, a long (and ultimately fruitless) struggle with alcohol, a fluctuating mental state that swung from manic to depressive. He was open and candid about everything, a fact that is evident in all aspects of his work. But for all that, he was also an important member of a significant American literary and cultural movement. Each of the three main parts of this biography include key poems, essays, and eventsboth personal and culturalto help establish not only Welchs importance as a key poet and figure during the San Francisco Renaissance, but also to show that his place within this literary movement was deserved. He is often seen as a friend of rather than a bona fide poet with a strong voice and message of his own. He was perhaps a victim of his own crushing self-criticism and reliance on othersaspects that Clark attempts to shed light on in order to understand his work on a more meaningful level. Investigates the life and work of Beat poet Lew Welch in a chronological fashion, structured around Welchs own notion of how three main aspects of his life - The Man, The Mountain, and The City - were interdependent and how they informed the others in terms of creating his life. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780870712470

Bibliographic Details

• Title: He, Leo (Paperback)
• Publisher: Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0870712470
• ISBN 13: 9780870712470
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

He, Leo investigates the life and work of Beat poet Lew Welch in a chronological fashion, structured around Welch’s own notion of how three main aspects of his life―The Man, The Mountain, and The City―were interdependent and how they informed the others in terms of creating his “life.” From his birth until his disappearance (and presumed death), Welch’s life was often defined by problems, both physical and emotional. He had a complex relationship with his mother, a long (and ultimately fruitless) struggle with alcohol, a fluctuating mental state that swung from manic to depressive. He was open and candid about everything, a fact that is evident in all aspects of his work. But for all that, he was also an important member of a significant American literary and cultural movement.  

Each of the three main parts of this biography include key poems, essays, and events―both personal and cultural―to help establish not only Welch’s importance as a key poet and figure during the San Francisco Renaissance, but also to show that his place within this literary movement was deserved. He is often seen as a “friend of” rather than a bona fide poet with a strong voice and message of his own. He was perhaps a victim of his own crushing self-criticism and reliance on others―aspects that Clark attempts to shed light on in order to understand his work on a more meaningful level.

About the Author

Ewan Clark is an independent scholar and teacher based in the Netherlands.