Michael Lally (poet)
Encyclopedia
Michael Lally is an American-born poet and the author of twenty-seven books of poetry
. He is considered part of the New York School
of poetry, which began in the early 1950s and is acknowledged as one of the most influential movements of American poetry. He counts among his major influences the poets Frank O'Hara
and William Carlos Williams
, as well as writer William Saroyan
.
and raised in South Orange, New Jersey
. His poetry and prose moves through and reflects on many of the seminal shifts in American culture from the 1950s forward: the civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights and anti-war movements and his active participation in each. Master of the autobiographical style, his writing charts the internal emotional landscape of the evolving 20th century man.
Lally started out playing piano and reading his poetry in coffeehouses and bars in 1959. In 1962 he joined the United States Air Force
, where he spent more than four years as an enlisted man, and later used the G.I. Bill to attend the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop
. While living in Iowa Lally’s devotion to political reform extended beyond editorials. In the fall of 1968 he actively campaigned for the position of Johnson County Sheriff as part of the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. (SOURCE: “Students for a Democratic Society
” by Harvey Pekar, page 161-170.)
in 1982 to find work acting in movies and TV (as Michael David Lally) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482472/, mostly as a bad guy (like a psycho detective on JAG), and the occasional good guy (a gentle artist on NYPD Blue), while his writing found its way into several movies including . In 1999 he moved home to New Jersey.
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. He is considered part of the New York School
New York School
The New York School was an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950s, 1960s in New York City...
of poetry, which began in the early 1950s and is acknowledged as one of the most influential movements of American poetry. He counts among his major influences the poets Frank O'Hara
Frank O'Hara
Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara was an American writer, poet and art critic. He was a member of the New York School of poetry.-Life:...
and William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
, as well as writer William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
.
Early years
The youngest of seven in an Irish-American family of cops, priests, and politicians Lally was born in Orange, New JerseyOrange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
and raised in South Orange, New Jersey
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
. His poetry and prose moves through and reflects on many of the seminal shifts in American culture from the 1950s forward: the civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights and anti-war movements and his active participation in each. Master of the autobiographical style, his writing charts the internal emotional landscape of the evolving 20th century man.
Lally started out playing piano and reading his poetry in coffeehouses and bars in 1959. In 1962 he joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, where he spent more than four years as an enlisted man, and later used the G.I. Bill to attend the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
. While living in Iowa Lally’s devotion to political reform extended beyond editorials. In the fall of 1968 he actively campaigned for the position of Johnson County Sheriff as part of the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. (SOURCE: “Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
” by Harvey Pekar, page 161-170.)
Writing career
In 1972 he wrote the autobiographical “South Orange Sonnets” (Some of Us Press), which on publication led to a New York Poetry Center Discovery Award. (REFERENCES Doug Lang, Terence Winch)Acting career
He moved from Manhattan to Los AngelesLos 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 1982 to find work acting in movies and TV (as Michael David Lally) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482472/, mostly as a bad guy (like a psycho detective on JAG), and the occasional good guy (a gentle artist on NYPD Blue), while his writing found its way into several movies including . In 1999 he moved home to New Jersey.
Personal life
Lally has been married three times. His first wife Carol Lee Fisher from 1964 to 1979. The second wife was Penelope Milford from 1982 to 1984. He then wed a third time to Jaina Flynn in 1997 before separating in 2003. Lally has three children: Caitlin, Miles and FlynnBooks
- March 18, 2003 (book-length poem with illustrations by Alex Katz, Libellum, 2004) (third edition, Charta, 2006)
- It Takes One to Know One: Poetry & Prose (Black Sparrow Press, 2001)
- ¿Que Pasa, Baby? (prose poem, Wake Up Heavy Press, 2001)
- It's Not Nostalgia: Poetry & Prose (Black Sparrow Press, 1999)
- Of (book-length poem, Quiet Lion Press, 1999)
- Cant Be Wrong (poetry, Coffee House Press, 1996)
- What You Find There (poetry compact disc, New Alliance Records, 1994)
- Hollywood Magic (poetry, Little Caesar, 1982)
- Attitude (poetry, Hanging Loose Press, 1982)
- White Life (poetry, Jordan Davies, 1980)
- In the Mood (poem, Titanic Books, 1978)
- Catch My Breath (poetry and prose, Salt Lick Press, 1978; second edition, 1995)
- Just Let Me Do It (poetry, Vehicle Editions, 1978)
- Charisma (poetry, O Press, 1976)
- Rocky Dies Yellow (poetry, Blue Wind Press, 1975; second edition, 1977)
- Mentally, He's a Sick Man (prose, Salt Lick Press, 1975)
- Dues (poetry, The Stonewall Press, 1975)
- My Life (poetry, Wyrd Press, 1975)
- Sex/The Swing Era (poetry, Lucy & Ethel, 1975)
- Oomaloom (prose, A Dry Imager Production, 1975)
- Malenkov Takes Over (poetry/collage, A Dry Imager Production, 1974)
- Late Sleepers (poem, Pellet Press, 1973)
- The South Orange Sonnets (poetry, Some Of Us Press, 1972)
- Stupid Rabbits (poetry, Morgan Press, 1971)
- The Lines Are Drawn (poetry, Asphalt Press, 1970)
- MCMLXVI Poem (poem, The Nomad Press, 1970)
- What Withers (poetry, Doones Press, 1970)
- White Lies (prose, Donovan Press, 1969)
Plays
- Four Grown Men, The Ear of the Dog Poets Theater Festival, 1982, New York, NY
- Hollywood Magic, Stages Theater, 1983, Hollywood, CA 1983
- The Rhythm of Torn Stars, 1988, The Pacific Theater, Venice CA (co-wrote)
- Chicks: A Spiritual Quest, 1995, 321 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA
Film
- Co-authored Fogbound (with Ate De Jong), which was a finalist at the 2003 Hollywood Film Festival and winner of the 2003 Best Feature Film award at the 5th International Panorama of Independent Filmmakers Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Contributed to many screenplays including Drugstore Cowboy, Pump Up The Volume, The Laureate, and many more.
Notable awards
- American Book AwardAmerican Book AwardThe American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
, 2000 - PEN Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature, 1997
- The Pacificus Foundation Literary Award, 1996
- National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Poetry Fellowship, 1974 and 1981 - The Poets Foundation Award, 1974
- The New York 92nd St. YMHA Poetry Center Discovery Award, 1972
Further reading
- Ron Silliman: This is time of great reckoning
- "The '60s Report," Toby Thompson. Rawson Wade, New York. 1979.