Selected Correspondence of Kenneth Patchen

Included in this vast correspondence with 20th century artist and writers and publishers are brief bios and photos. "Patchen was "a rebel all down the line." Cummings, Miller, Rexroth and others hailed this "poet of anger and light" as the quintessential countercultural hero. Frost illuminates Patchen marching to the beat of his passionate heart, pursuing his vocation by fiercely protecting his integrity and exploring innovative directions despite the vicissitudes of illness, chronic pain, and poverty, and despite the Establishment critics' wall of silence. These fascinating and poignant letters map out rich chapters of cultural history and reveal the difficult dance between art and practicalities, and the magnanimous spirit of Laughlin and others who rallied for Patchen." -Rachelle Lerner, biographer of forthcoming "A Rage to Order: Kenneth Rexroth."