David Meltzer (poet)


David Meltzer was an American poet and musician of the Beat Generation and San Francisco Renaissance. Lawrence Ferlinghetti 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.

Biography

Early life

Meltzer was born in Rochester, New York, 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, California, 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 featuring pianist Bob Dorough 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 w/ 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, 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 generation, Meltzer was also a jazz guitarist, Kabbalist 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, which provides a current overview of Meltzer's work.
Meltzer's Beat Thing 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, which is an important source for basic witnesses of San Francisco poetry culture, both Beat and beyond..
Meltzer taught at the New College of California in the Poetics Program, which was founded by Duncan McNaughton.
With his singer-musician wife Tina Meltzer, David recorded as a duo and then with their group, the Serpent Power. With his second wife, poet Julie Rogers, Meltzer frequently performed at poetry venues; they produced a CD, Two-Tone, in collaboration with tenor saxophonist Zan Stewart.

Death

He spent most of his life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Meltzer died on December 31, 2016, after suffering a stroke at his home in Oakland.

Published works

Poetry

Ragas The Clown We All Have Something to Say To Each Other The Process The Dark Continent Round the Poem Box From Eden Book Yesod Greenspeech Knots Luna The Eyes of Blood Hero/Lil Bark, a polemic Blue Rags Harps Six Arrows: Selected Poetry, 1957-1992 No Eyes: Lester Young Beat Thing David's Copy: Selected Poems
  • ''When I Was a Poet''

Fiction

The Agency The Agent How Many Blocks in the Pile? Orf The Martyr Lovely Healer Out Glue Factory Star The Agency Trilogy
  • ''Under''

Essays

  • ''Two-Way Mirror: A Poetry Notebook''

Edited

Journal for the Protection of All Beings Tree The San Francisco Poets The Secret Garden: An Anthology in the Kabbalah Birth: Anthology of Ancients Texts, Songs, Prayers, and Stories Death: Anthology of Texts, Songs, Charms, Prayers, and Tales Reading Jazz Writing Jazz San Francisco Beat: Talking With the Poets
  • ''Shuffle Boil: A Magazine of Poets & Music''

Discography