City Lights Bookstore: Where Poetics Becomes Movement. Part II

» Sunbear - City Lights and the Beats

Hi Robert,

I lived in San Francisco for about two years, and City Lights was my favorite place in the city, a place where sadly so many books that only a handful have read reside.

Thanks for your article and its litany of literay figures. By the way, I believe Ferlinghetti named the bookstore from Charles Chaplin's movie, "City Light."

"They are the same people; just further from home." (or something like that from Ferlinghetti).

Take care. I subscribed.

Sincerely,
Tom Martin
Cleaning the Spring

-- posted by Sunbear

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» Sunbear - Additional Note from Tom

Well, Robert, I just read your bio and see that you live in Chapel Hill and grew up in NC. The same for me. I grew up on a tobacco farm and graduated in English from the University.

You might be interested in an article that I wrote recently for Black History Month,called A Southern Line regarding growing up near a small NC town in the Jim Crow days of the '50s and '60s.

Regards,
Tom

-- posted by Sunbear

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» Robert71 - Re: City Lights and the Beats

In response to message posted by Sunbear:

Tom,

Thanks for writing. I could really relate to
your article, because I went through similar
conflicts, while growing up in the south. I
did, however, grow up after integration, so
things are a little different in the south today.
But, the issue has still not been dealt with,
and there is a lot of pain evident even today.
Even though I am from the South, I traveled a
great deal, (mainly hitch-hiking and jumping
trains) when I was a younger. I never really
felt like I belonged here. I have left several
times, and end up back here, only to leave again.

Visiting City Lights brought a few things home to me. One of these is that there are some
people that will never fit into this society
whatever race they may find their origins. What
happens to these people ? I am still trying to
figure that one out. Henry Miller wrote about
such people in his book Big Sur, and he theorized
that were some people that see the contradictions
in our city, but rather than choosing to change
that society as a revolutionary would, choose to
drop out of that society, living and existing on
the fringes. I am beginning to think that I
may be one of these people.

Right now, I am taking a break from San Fran.
I have lived there two or three times in my
life, but my trip always ends in some sort of
strange disaster. San Fran. is a strange place.
I have wonderful friends there, but I always
take a break to recover from my trip. I would like to live there one day, but everytime I go
there, I feel like I have run a marathon race.

I better stop now, because I am starting to
ramble. I do not know where this letter is even
going, but I felt like I should reply.

As for City Lights, one of these days I am
going to get nailed for telling stories. But,
the fun in poetry and prose is contributing to
legend. Some things were never meant to be
explained. How do you describe a place like
City Lights ?

Thanks for writing.

I look forward to conversing with you again
sometime.......

Rob.
Beat Boulevard.

-- posted by Robert71

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