The Outlaw Bible of American Literature
The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry(1999) broke the ground on which this second resounding gathering of counterculture voices is now planted. Just as the termoutlaw bible sets off a pleasurably oxymoronic frisson, so, too, does this collection's heady and revealing mix of literary excellence, political conviction, grittiness, and sexy highjinks. The editors--Kaufman, author ofJew Boy(2000); "gonzo publisher" Neil Ortenberg; and Barney Rosset, the famed founder of Grove Press and publisher of Henry Miller, William S. Burroughs, and Kathy Acker, all represented here--interpret the termliteraturebroadly, and so include Miles Davis recalling prickly moments with Charlie Parker and Milton Berle, Annie Sprinkle recounting her "brushes with the law," a graphic tale by Harvey Pekar, a reminiscence by alpha Hell's Angel Sonny Barger, and a rave by Timothy Leary. But here, too, are Grace Paley, Paul Bowles, Ray Bradbury, Jessica Hagedorn, Sapphire, Clive Barker, and Don De Grazia. Short takes, enticing categories, outspoken voices, and surprising juxtapositions make for a lively and illuminating sampling, a real reading party.Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved