Michael McClure

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Michael McClure, an American poet and playwright, was born in Marysville, Kansas on (October 20, 1932). Moving to Seattle, Washington in his youth, McClure developed a keen interest in nature. That love of nature is often reflected in his poetry.

McClure, was one of five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famous San Francisco Six Gallery reading in 1955 rendered in barely fictionalized terms in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums. McClure's works, along with those of Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen and Lawrence Ferlinghetti are often associated with both the San Francisco Renaissance and the later Beat Generation poets.

His style is raw and animalistic, often employing boisterous onomatopoeia. Many poems are nonsensical and absurd.

An odd footnote to his long poetic career is his co-authorship with Bob Neuwirth of the playground-rhyme-like popular song, Mercedes Benz for Janis Joplin.

McClure's collaborative performances with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek fuse spoken word poetry and improvised jazz piano.

[edit] Bibliography

Passage (1956)
For Artaud (1959)
Hymns to St. Geryon and Other Poems (1959)
The New Book/A Book of Torture (1961)
Dark Brown (1961)
Meat Science Essays (1963)
The Blossom; or Billy the Kid (1964)
The Beard (1965)
Poisoned Wheat (1965)
Unto Caesar (1965)
Love Lion Book (1966)
The Sermons of Jean Harlow and the Curses of Billy the Kid (1968)
Hail Thee Who Play (1968)
Muscled Apple Swift (1968)
Little Odes and The Raptors (1969)
Star (1970)
The Mad Cub (1970)
The Adept (1971)
The Mammals - includes The Feast, The Blossom; or, Billy the Kid, and Pillow (1972)
The Book of Joanna (1973)
Solstice Blossom (1973)
Rare Angel (1974)
A Fist-Full (1956-57) (1974)