Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet, painter, activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers turned 100 years old today.
Ferlinghetti is maybe best known for “A Coney Island of the Mind” and as publisher of the beat poets, which included being arrested for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and the ensuing First Ammendment trial.
My favorite work of his is the little book Poetry As Insurgent Art which a good friend gifted me a few years ago.
A few of my favorite quotes:
- “The state of the world calls out for poetry to save it.”
- “Haunt bookstores.”
- “Think long thoughts in short sentences.”
- “Don’t ever believe poetry is irrelevant in dark times.”
Image: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0
CLARITY AND CHAOS 