Berkeley Poetry Conference
The Berkeley Poetry Conference was an event in which individuals presented their views and poems in seminars, lectures, individual readings, and group readings at California Hall on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley during July 12–24, 1965. The conference was organized through the University of California Extension Programs. The advisory committee consisted of Thomas Parkinson, Professor of English at U.C. Berkeley, Donald M. Allen, West Coast Editor of Grove Press, Robert Duncan, Poet, and Richard Baker, Program Coordinator. Roster. The roster of scheduled poets consisted of: Robin Blaser, Robert Creeley, Richard Duerden, Robert Duncan, Allen  Ginsberg, Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Joanne Kyger, Ron Loewinsohn, Charles Olson, Gary Snyder, Jack Spicer, George Stanley, Lew Welch, and John Wieners. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) did not participate; Ed Dorn was pressed into service. Readings. There was a reading by David Bromige, David Schaff, James Koller and Ken Irby, but the tape has been lost. Among the younger poets who attended the conference but did not perform were Maria Damon, Ron Silliman, Anne Waldman, and Lewis Warsh. Louis Simpson cited the conference when he resigned his position at Berkeley. During this event, Charles Olson was designated President of Poets , and Allen Ginsberg, Secretary of State of Poetry. Robert Creeley remarked, "There will never be another poetry conference in Berkeley; Berkeley is too bizarre."