Reading list: Long Beach Poets & Writers
Legendary NYC literary icon Edward Field published a now-infamous feature article in Poets & Writers magazine in the early '90s about the "Long Beach School of Poets," in which he argued that the "New York School of Poets" (Frank O'Hara, Koch, Ashbery, etc.), termed as such due to their distinctive writing styles, themes, etc. & associated with NYC, was equalled by the now-named-by-Field Long Beach School of Poets, asserting that the literary scene in So. California, centered in Long Beach, was as viable, creative, talented, distinctive, etc., & deserved to be recognized as such. The late Gerald Locklin would have been King, but other writers associated with Long Beach at various times have included Charles Webb, Fred Voss, Joan Jobe Smith, Donna Hilbert, Glenn Bach, Scott Holstad, Ray Zepeda, Lisa Glatt, Keith Dodson, etc., & of course the great Charles Bukowski - one of Gerry Locklin's biggest fans & friends. This list is designed to include those writers associated with Long Beach & the small press scene & ideally introduce any others out there who may be unaware of the Long Beach talent to some of these people here on the site. There are other writers elsewhere who I think many would agree are, by association, virtual Long Beach writers, perhaps "honorary" Long Beach writers & Ed Field would certainly be at the front of the line, but others would include Mark Weber & Todd Moore, just for starts. I've considered adding some of these but decided not to (although others are free to if they wish) because I thought that might add some unnecessary disagreements so it'd be better to just stick to those who are from or live/lived in the Long Beach area.