I traded Adam at DL a poem composed in exchange for a/the new (?) edition of UKANHAVYRFUCKINCITY BAK. D.A. LEVY A TRIBUTE TO THE MAN AN ANTHOLOGY OF HIS POETRY
I believe I first read Levy in my sister's copy of The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry and shortly thereafter bought Mike Golden's anthology of levy's poetry and collage- The Buddhist Third Class Junkmail Oracle. I was also recently given the White Wall of Sound edition of d.a.'s Cleveland Undercovers & know I've seen a few other recent editions/collections (one of which is newly printed for $50).
UKANHAVYRFUCKINCITY BAK. is a fitting document of a poet who will be forever peripheral to the academic mausoleum and a saint to natal poet punks trying to come alive in boring cities. The introduction by d.a.'s soul-brother rjs is less decipherable than the rest of the book, both in terms of the print and his spelling. 90% or better of this book is a second or third generation generation xerox of the original mimeograph edition. Crazy-sexy and deteriorating.
Somewhere, prior to my discovering levy, I recall being momentarily whelmed by the Sonic Youth levytribute (of sorts) NYC Ghosts & Flowers. I don't think any of us thought it was that great a SY record(though did William S. Burroughs also do the cover art?) the lyrics were certainly Levite, revealing a familial resemblance that could be generational, terrestrial, or both.
The contents of UKANHAVYRFUCKINCITY BAK. is also peppered with collaborations, poems in tribute to levy, "essays," by second-cousins such as bpNichol. It makes me imagine- what if levy had gotten to Canada! He'd probably be Prime Minister by now and talking down the Kootenai School of Writing, palling aaround with Michael Ondaatje. It's sometimes difficult to see who wrote what in this book. That fact, coupled with the introduction, typescrawled in its disappearing script are twin aporias that add a peculiarly Levite to the form of the book itself.
What did the Phoenix do between ending life as Harry Crosby in 1929 and touching down as levy in 1942?
