Philip Whalen - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Philip Whalen was born on October 20, 1923 in Portland, Oregon. He grew up just south of Portland and during WWII, he served in the US Army Air Corps. He attended Reed College on the GI Bill and received his B.A. in 1951. Gary Snyder and Lew Welch were Whalen's roommates during college. Whalen read with Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Lamantia, and Michael McClure at the Six Gallery on October 7, 1955, when the infamous "Howl" was first read.

Whalen is generally considered one of the pioneering forces behind the San Francisco Poetry Renaissance of the mid-1950s. The author's work differs from much Beat writing in its reverential treatment of the mundane, its self-deprecating humor, and its generally apolitical tone. Dictionary of Literary Biography essayist Paul Christensen writes: "Whalen's singular style and personality contribute to his character in verse as a bawdy, honest, moody, complicated songster of the frenzied mid-century, an original troubadour and thinker who refused to take himself too seriously during the great revival of visionary lyric in American poetry."

Whalen was ordained a Zen Buddhist priest in 1973 and became head monk, Dharma Sangha, in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1984. He died June 26th, 2002 in San Francisco...Wally Hedrick: My Last Photos Of Wally

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My Interests

zen
poetry

I'd like to meet:

This site is now being run by Bruce Hodder and Blue Fred Press. My hope is to use it as a means of raising Philip's profile in the Beat/ alternative and the broader literary worlds, since his status at the moment seems to be somewhat that of a poet's poet, known and appreciated by the cognoscenti but invisible in most general reading lists (especially in England, from where the site's being run.)I also aim to honour Philip's own beliefs and interests by using the site to help propagate the Dharma. So you'll see a pretty even balance between Buddhist and poetry sites in the friends list.

With the mission statement out of the way, let me say I'd love to hear from poets, Buddhists or religious practitioners of any sort, campaigners, activists, anybody who lives with passion and/ or dedication to something. If you knew Philip either modestly or in deep friendship, send your memories for presentation in the blog.

Books:

Canoeing up Cabarga Creek: Buddhist Poems 1955-1986 (Parallax Press, Feb 1995), Two Novels (Zephyr Press, Jan 1986), Off the Wall: Interviews with Philip Whalen (FourSeasons Foundation, Jan 1978), Enough Said: 1974-1979 (Grey Fox Press, Nov 1980), and Heavy Breathing: Poems, 1967-1980 (Four Seasons Foundation, Jan 1983).

My Blog

Randy Roark (2)

from "Elegies: For the New American Poets," (Elik Books,2005) XI. (for Philip Whalen)Rain through sluices in the latter years of along life devoted entirely to magic made out ofhyacinths an...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 11:05:00 PST

Randy Roark

A Memorial Reading for Philip Whalen (for Anne Waldman) So none of the prayers and magic go astray. Allen Ginsberg You weren't expecting anyone when I surprised you on the stairs, em...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:37:00 PST

Sourdough Mountain Lookout

FOR KENNETH REXROTHI always say I won't go back to the mountainsI am too old and fat there are bugs mean mulesAnd pancakes every morning of the worldMr. Edwa...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Wed, 26 Jul 2006 03:06:00 PST

a koan

A monk said to Joshu, "Your stone bridge is widely renowned, but coming here I find only a heap of rocks." Joshu sa...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Sat, 01 Jul 2006 05:55:00 PST

The Imperfect Sonnet

"The person of whom you speak is dead."Where is the second crystal?One came in last night & took it; this oneHeld the papers on the tableNow I want topaze. In the middle of the night -The glass do...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Wed, 31 May 2006 12:41:00 PST

The Dilemma Of The Ocassion Is...

She says she's funny-lookingShe can't decide on hair nor clothes.There are too many shoes to wear.Almost every downtown cornerDisplays crippled, sick and dirty peopleBeat and tromped on. Others lookFo...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Wed, 31 May 2006 12:42:00 PST

The Memory Of

Mr J who had been poor for yearsInherited all the money in the worldBought a gun to blow a hole in his headTo let in air and light he saidTo let me outToday, I have my head to shaveThere are lights an...
Posted by Philip Whalen on Wed, 31 May 2006 12:40:00 PST