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David Meltzer

デイヴィッド・メルツァー

Deividdo Merutsā

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1937-02-17 （Rochester, New York）
Died
2016-12-31 （Oakland, California） age 79
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Rochester, New York (birth) → Brooklyn, New York (1940) → Rockville Centre, New York → Los Angeles, California (1954) → San Francisco, California (1957) → San Francisco Bay Area

Career

Occupations
Poet, Musician, Writer, Jazz guitarist
Active Years
1957-2016
Affiliations
New College of California
Influenced By
Jack Spicer, Robert Duncan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Influenced
Beat Generation poets

Awards

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award
2008
Organization: Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Result: Won

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

David's Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer

2005 Poetry

Selected poems edited by Michael Rothenberg.

Beat poetrySan Francisco Renaissance

Beat Thing

2004 Epic poem

Epic poem on the Beat generation.

Beat GenerationPopular culture

The New American Poetry 1945–1960

1960 Anthology

Anthology including his work.

American Poetry

Bibliography

  • Ragas (1959), The Clown (1960), etc. (see Wikipedia for full list)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Beat poetry rhythmsVernacular languageJazz influences
Recurring Motifs
Beat GenerationKabbalahJazz musicians

Health

  • Stroke
    2016
    Cause of death.

Legacy

Key poet and musician of the Beat Generation and San Francisco Renaissance, author of over 50 books of poetry and prose.

Archives

  • Washington University in St. Louis

In Popular Culture

  • Featured in Beat culture depictions.

Quotes

  • (No direct quotes provided)

Trivia

  • Parents were a cellist and a harpist.
  • Wrote his first poem at age 11 about NYC subway.
  • Kabbalah scholar.