Charles Upton (poet)
Encyclopedia
Charles Upton is an American poet
and metaphysician.
. He attended Catholic
schools through high school. He attended UC Davis for only four days.
, who became his mentor. Although much younger than most of the Beat poets, Upton's first two volumes of poetry were also published by City Lights
. It was associated with many of the earlier Beat poets.
After his first two volumes of poems were published, Upton became involved with the Sanctuary Movement
for Central American refugees. He produced and distributed a video, Through the Needle’s Eye, containing testimonies of refugees.
In the late 1980s he was briefly involved with the "magical populism" of the New Age
peace movement. He studied group dreamwork
and dream networking.
In 1988 he joined a traditional Sufi order. Under his wife's influence, Upton became interested in the metaphysics
of the Traditionalist
or Perennialist School (the followers of Rene Guenon
, Ananda Coomaraswamy
and Frithjof Schuon
). He continues to be partly identified with this school.
His papers are held at University of Connecticut
.
, they currently live in Lexington, Kentucky
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and metaphysician.
Life
Born in San Francisco, Charles Upton grew up in Marin County, CaliforniaMarin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
. He attended Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
schools through high school. He attended UC Davis for only four days.
Career
In San Francisco, he met the poet Lew WelchLew Welch
Lewis Barrett Welch, Jr. was an American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts.Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s...
, who became his mentor. Although much younger than most of the Beat poets, Upton's first two volumes of poetry were also published by City Lights
City Lights Bookstore
City Lights is an independent bookstore-publisher combination that specializes in world literature, the arts, and progressive politics. It also houses the nonprofit City Lights Foundation, which publishes selected titles related to San Francisco culture. It was founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence...
. It was associated with many of the earlier Beat poets.
After his first two volumes of poems were published, Upton became involved with the Sanctuary Movement
Sanctuary movement
The Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political campaign that began in the early 1980s to provide safe-haven for Central American refugees fleeing civil conflict...
for Central American refugees. He produced and distributed a video, Through the Needle’s Eye, containing testimonies of refugees.
In the late 1980s he was briefly involved with the "magical populism" of the New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
peace movement. He studied group dreamwork
Dreamwork
Dreamwork differs from classical dream interpretation in that the aim of dreamwork is to explore the various images and emotions that a dream presents and evokes, while not attempting to come up with a single, unique dream meaning. In this way the dream remains "alive" whereas if it has been...
and dream networking.
In 1988 he joined a traditional Sufi order. Under his wife's influence, Upton became interested in the metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
of the Traditionalist
Traditionalist School
The term Traditionalist School is used by Mark Sedgwick and other authors to denote a school of thought, also known as Integral Traditionalism or Perennialism to denote an esoteric movement developed by authors such as French metaphysician René Guénon, German-Swiss...
or Perennialist School (the followers of Rene Guenon
René Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
, Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West...
and Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon
Frithjof Schuon, was a native of Switzerland born to German parents in Basel, Switzerland. He is known as a philosopher, metaphysician and author of numerous books on religion and spirituality....
). He continues to be partly identified with this school.
His papers are held at University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
.
Marriage and family
He married Jennifer Doane. After living in in Marin County, CaliforniaMarin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, they currently live in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
Works
- Panic Grass (epic poem) City Lights Books, 1968; ASIN B001FSYIPE
- Time Raid, (poems) Four Seasons Foundation, 1968; ASIN B0006BVUOS
- Doorkeeper of the Heart, Versions of Rabi’a (poems), Threshold Books, 1988; Pir Press, 2004; ISBN 1879708205
- Hammering Hot Iron: A Spiritual Critique of Bly’s Iron John (metaphysics and social criticism), Quest Books, 1993; Sophia Perennis 2005; ISBN 1597310433
- The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age (metaphysics and social criticism), Sophia Perennis, 2001; ISBN 0900588306
- Legends of the End: Prophesies of the End Times, Antichrist, Apocalypse, and Messiah from Eight Religious Traditions, Sophia Perennis, 2005; ISBN 1597310255
- Cracks in the Great Wall: UFOs and Traditional Metaphysics, Sophia Perennis, 2005; ISBN 1597310247
- The Virtues of the Prophet: A Young Muslim's Guide to the Greater Jihad, the War Against the Passions, Sophia Perennis, 2006; ISBN 1597310514
- Knowings, in the Arts of Metaphysics, Cosmology and the Spiritual Path, Sophia Perennis, 2008; ISBN 9781597310741
- Reflections of Tasawwuf: Essays, Poems and Narrative on Sufi Themes, Sophia Perennis, 2008; ISBN 9781597310789
- Who Is the Earth? How to See God in the Natural World, Sophia Perennis, 2008; ISBN 9781597310796
- Folk Metaphysics: Mystical Meanings in Traditional Folk Songs and Spirituals, Sophia Perennis, 2008 ISBN 9781597310772
- Shadow of the Rose: The Esoterism of the Romantic Tradition (with his wife Jennifer Doane Upton), Sophia Perennis, 2008; ISBN 9781597310796
- Findings in Metaphysic, Path and Lore, With a Response to the Traditionalist/Perennialist School, Sophia Perennis, 2010; ISBN 9781597310963
- The Science of the Greater Jihad: Essays in Principial Psychology, Sophia Perennis, 2011; ISBN 9781597311281
- The Wars of Love and Other Poems, with "A Reader's Guide to The Wars of Love" and "Lew Welch as Teacher", Sophia Perennis, 2011; ISBN 9781597311250
Editor
- Dark Way to Paradise: Dante's Inferno in Light of the Spiritual Path,Jennifer Doane Upton; Sophia Perennis, 2005; ISBN 9781597310093
- False Dawn: The United Religions Initiative, Globalism and the Quest for a One-World Religion, Lee Penn, Sophia Perennis, 2005; ISBN 159731000X
Anthologies
- Mark in Time, Glide Publications, 1971; ISBN 0912078162
- Excerpt from Panic Grass in City Lights Pocket Poets Anthology, Lawrence Ferlinghetti (ed.), City Lights Books, 1995; ISBN 9780872863118