DOI: 10.25549/lipton-c108-426
title: 135. Roskolenko, Boyd, Saroyan, Rabinowitz readings & discussion, [1955?]; Lipton interview of Foster (Firestone), [1955?]

description: Tape 135, side 1) Lawrence Lipton, Bill Saroyan (playwrite), Stuart Perkoff (poet), Harry Roskolenko (poet), Bruce Boyd, Harold Rabinowitz, and others in discussion, 1958 March 23, and comments throughout the poetry reading on various topics including: Clifford Odets (playwright), Jake Shakespeare, Odet's play The Flowering Peach, T.S. Eliot's "The wasteland", poetry, jazz in Russia, sitting vs. standing to write, the writing process, Mahatma Ghandi, poverty, Saroyan's plays My Heart's in the Highlands, The Time of Your Life, Don't Go Away Mad. Harry Roskolenko reading his poetry: "The return" (0:57), "Charlie" (5:42), "Exile" (6:43), "Aries of conscience" (7:47), "Images of disorder" (8:40), "I stole the mad woman's love, the mad woman said" (9:34), from Paris Poems "Now they come without the motives of the war" (10:42), "Montage effects" (11:53), "Europe" (12:45), "Christmas in wartime" (13:38), "End voyage" (14:39). Boyd reading from the Bible and commenting on it "Genesis, or the formation of the chosen nation" (15:49). Harold Rabinowitz reading his "Recognition" (34:00), "Too late and too early" (36:04), "I'm hung, I'm hung on roots" (38:52). Bill Saroyan reading his story "The fire" (40:42) [excerpt]. Harry Roskolenko reading his "Escape" (44:18), "Leviathan" (47:21) [excerpts]. ❧ Tape 135, side 2) Lawrence Lipton interviewing Charles Foster (poet, age 35), ca. 1955 (0:02), re Julia, San Francisco, pulling up stakes, starting anew, liberation from being trapped, masochism, psychoanalysis, time in the army, Colgate class of 1943, growing up middle class in the depression, real estate, Boston University, University of California Berkeley, GI Bill, Mexico City, alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous, ambivalence to women and men, perceptions of father and mother, first and second wives, divorce, F. Scott Fitzgerald (writer), Budd Schulberg (writer), verbalizing his thinking, more talkative and argumentive while drinking, Arthur Schopenhauer (philosopher), impact of drinking on his writing, publishing, was an aerial gunner in the Airforce (on a B-24) in Idaho to be sent to the Pacific theater, only voted once (for Franklin D. Roosevelt), thinks voting is a fraud, was mostly a loner, not a joiner, but was in the Sea Scouts and the YMCA, interest in politics, liked living alone in an adobe house in New Mexico, secluded in Marin County, working in advertising, liked parties when drinking, hates the businemen's lunch, close friendships with a strong sexual component with men more satisfying when drunk, similarly with women, used poetry in dating, he's subversive of phony values (most values are phony), his attitude toward the symbols of state, marriage and sex are subversive, no interest in the church, thought about ritual and devotion, is more open when he feels accepted, Stewart Perkoff, Saul White (poet), the elements of his happiness do not depend on location, relationships and his creativity, analysis of his dreams, poetry vs. music as inspirational, poor dancer, is most relaxed when most absorbed in any activity, T.S. Eliot (poet), E.E. Cummings (poet), Ezra Pound (poet), 17th-century metaphysical poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browing (poet), Walt Whitman (poet), John Donn (poet), Christopher Marlowe (poet), pacifism and war, no desire to lead or judge, censorious of psycopaths and psycopathy, prayer to the predicate, recognition not import, communication is important, money nice but not important, isolation is preferable to public participation, public recognition is not critical. The reference to "Firestone" on the container is obscure. -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.