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“The Adlai Stevenson of the Art World” [Jane Freilicher]
<<<A 1956 letter written by Ms. Freilicher to Frank O’Hara, who celebrated her in his acclaimed “Jane” poems, initiated various plans to get together, beginning: “Dear Frankie, I was utterly delighted to get your…
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Why (Not) Wales? [by Daniel Westover]
I am one of the (relatively) few American academics specializing in the English-language literature of Wales, sometimes referred to as Anglo-Welsh literature. The term that most of us working in the field use is…
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Greta Gynt, “The Shady Lady Spiv”
From the black-and-white postwar British movie Easy Money (1948), here is the Norwegian actress Greta Gynt singing "The Shady Lady Spiv" to fellow spiv (or cheap crook) Dennis Price at the London nightclub where…
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Marty’s Lesson: Thoughts About War Poetry and Teaching on Memorial Day, 2013 [by Daniel Westover]
Although I didn’t know it as a kid, my grandfather, Eugene (Eugenio) James Martinis—“Jimmy” to his siblings, “Marty” to me—was a Screaming Eagle, a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne. Technically Marty was my step-grandfather,…
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Memorial Day: We remember the poets who served. . .
. . . These are a conquered people, said the British sergeant, putting his hand on my shoulder at the bar in Foggia, Italy— this is 1944. He was instructing me on why I…
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“Happy 74, Frank Bidart!” [by Anthony Madrid via Facebook]
FRANK BIDART (5/27)Ass b-b-b-backwards And horse b’fore b’cart.With a very happy birthday toThe poet Frank Bidart.B’Jesus! Seventy-four.B’doing my b’partTo wish a happy birthday toThe poet Frank Bidart.B’cup, b’cup, b’gallon.B’liter and b’quart.B’cause I took a…
