David Meltzer
Encyclopedia
David Meltzer is an American
poet
and musician
of the Beat Generation
and San Francisco Renaissance
. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
has described him as "one of the greats of post-World-War-Two San Francisco poets and musicians." Meltzer came to prominence with inclusion of his work in the anthology, The New American Poetry 1945-1960
.
, the son of a cellist
and a harpist. In 1940, the family moved to Brooklyn
. At the age of 11, he wrote his first poem, on the topic of the New York City
subway system. He performed on radio and TV in The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour
. The family moved once again to Rockville Centre. His parents separated, and he accompanied his father to Los Angeles
in 1954. In 1957, he moved to San Francisco and became part of a circle of writers based around Jack Spicer
and Robert Duncan
.
In 1958, he recorded an album of his poems with a jazz combo for Jim Dickson on Dickson's Vaja label. The album was not released but finally saw the light of day in 2006 on Sierra Records titled "David Meltzer: Poet with Jazz 1958." Jim Dickson had earlier recorded Lord Buckley, Lenny Bruce and the Page Cavanaugh Trio. Later Jim would be A&R producer for World Pacific and Elektra Records as well as discovering and producing the rock group, the Byrds.
In 1968, David Meltzer signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
, Meltzer is also a jazz guitarist
, Cabalist scholar
, and the author of more than 50 books of poetry and prose. 2005 saw the publication of David's Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer (edited by Michael Rothenberg
and with an introduction by Jerome Rothenberg
), which provides a current overview of Meltzer's work.
Meltzer's Beat Thing (La Alameda Press) is his epic poem on the Beat generation. Jack Hirschman
said of it: Meltzer's other books include, No Eyes, poems on Lester Young
, and a book of interviews, San Francisco Beat: Talking with the Poets (City Lights Books).
Meltzer taught at the New College of California
in the Poetics Program, which was originally founded by Robert Duncan. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
Tina & David Meltzer
The Serpent Power/Tina & David Meltzer
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
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 musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
of the Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
and San Francisco Renaissance
San Francisco Renaissance
The term San Francisco Renaissance is used as a global designation for a range of poetic activity centered on San Francisco and which brought it to prominence as a hub of the American poetic avant-garde. However, others The term San Francisco Renaissance is used as a global designation for a range...
. Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
has described him as "one of the greats of post-World-War-Two San Francisco poets and musicians." Meltzer came to prominence with inclusion of his work in the anthology, The New American Poetry 1945-1960
The New American Poetry 1945-1960
The New American Poetry 1945–1960 was a poetry anthology edited by Donald Allen, and published in 1960. It aimed to pick out the "third generation" of American modernist poets, and included quite a number of poems fresh from the little magazines of the late 1950s. In the longer term it attained a...
.
Early life
Meltzer was born in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, the son of a cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and a harpist. In 1940, the family moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. At the age of 11, he wrote his first poem, on the topic of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
subway system. He performed on radio and TV in The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour
The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour
The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour was a variety show with a cast of children, including some who later became well-known adult performers. It had a long run for more than three decades...
. The family moved once again to Rockville Centre. His parents separated, and he accompanied his father to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1954. In 1957, he moved to San Francisco and became part of a circle of writers based around Jack Spicer
Jack Spicer
Jack Spicer was an American poet often identified with the San Francisco Renaissance. In 2009, My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer won the American Book Award for poetry.-Life and work:...
and Robert Duncan
Robert Duncan (poet)
Robert Duncan was an American poet and a student of H.D. and the Western esoteric tradition who spent most of his career in and around San Francisco. Though associated with any number of literary traditions and schools, Duncan is often identified with the poets of the New American Poetry and Black...
.
In 1958, he recorded an album of his poems with a jazz combo for Jim Dickson on Dickson's Vaja label. The album was not released but finally saw the light of day in 2006 on Sierra Records titled "David Meltzer: Poet with Jazz 1958." Jim Dickson had earlier recorded Lord Buckley, Lenny Bruce and the Page Cavanaugh Trio. Later Jim would be A&R producer for World Pacific and Elektra Records as well as discovering and producing the rock group, the Byrds.
In 1968, David Meltzer signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
Work
One of the key poets of the Beat generationBeat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
, Meltzer is also a jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarists are guitar players who play jazz music on the guitar using an approach to playing chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist and soloist in small and large ensembles and also as an unaccompanied...
, Cabalist scholar
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views and/or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue...
, and the author of more than 50 books of poetry and prose. 2005 saw the publication of David's Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer (edited by Michael Rothenberg
Michael Rothenberg
Michael Rothenberg is an American poet, songwriter, editor, and active environmentalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Rothenberg received his Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill...
and with an introduction by Jerome Rothenberg
Jerome Rothenberg
Jerome Rothenberg is an internationally known American poet, translator and anthologist who is noted for his work in ethnopoetics and poetry performance.-Early life and work:...
), which provides a current overview of Meltzer's work.
Meltzer's Beat Thing (La Alameda Press) is his epic poem on the Beat generation. Jack Hirschman
Jack Hirschman
Jack Hirschman is an American poet and social activist who has written more than 50 volumes of poetry and essays.-Biography:...
said of it: Meltzer's other books include, No Eyes, poems on Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
, and a book of interviews, San Francisco Beat: Talking with the Poets (City Lights Books).
Meltzer taught at the New College of California
New College of California
New College of California was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1971 by former Gonzaga University President, Father John Leary. After 37 years, it ceased operations in early 2008....
in the Poetics Program, which was originally founded by Robert Duncan. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
Poetry
- The Clown (Semina, 1960)
- The Process (Oyez, 1965),
- The Dark Continent (1967)
- Round the Poem Box (1969)
- Yesod (Trigram, 1969),
- Greenspeech (1970)
- Luna (Black Sparrow, 1970)
- Hero/Lil (Black Sparrow, 1973)
- Arrows: Selected Poetry, 1957-1992 (Black Sparrow Press, 1994)
- No Eyes: Lester Young, (Black Sparrow, 2000)
- David's Copy, (Penguin Group Press, 2005)
- When I Was a Poet," (City LightsCity Lights BookstoreCity 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...
, June 2011) ISBN 9780872865167
Fiction
- The Agency Trilogy (Brandon House, 1968; reprinted by Richard Kasak, 1994)
- Orf (Brandon House, 1969; reprinted by Masquerade Books, 1995),
- Under (Rhinoceros Books, 1997)
Edited
- The Secret Garden: An Anthology in the Kabbalah (Continuum Press, 1976; reprinted, Station Hill Press, 1998)
- Birth: Anthology of Ancients Texts, Songs, Prayers, and Stories (North Point Press, 1981)
- Death: Anthology of Texts, Songs, Charms, Prayers, and Tales (North Point Press, 1984)
- Reading Jazz (Mercury House, 1996)
- Writing Jazz (Mercury House, 1999)
- San Francisco Beat: Talking With the Poets (City Lights, 2001)
Discography
The Serpent Power- Serpent Power (Vanguard Records, 1968)
Tina & David Meltzer
- Poet Song (Vanguard Records, 1969).
The Serpent Power/Tina & David Meltzer
- Serpent Power/Poet Song (reissue, Comet/Akarma Records, 1996).