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posthumously. Bucky
Sinister of the San Francisco Bay Guardian wrote: "Lerner was a broken-down saint if there ever was one. He was an eloquent screamer, a soft-spoken rageoholic, a madman with a great manuscript. His poetry will always be a reminder of a time when poetry in the Mission was
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One of Lerner's most celebrated poems, "Mein Kampf," is considered a seminal statement of underground poetics in response to the weight of the mainstream. The poem's opening "all I want to do is make poetry famous" has also been quoted by other writers.
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described as a "tightly controlled eruption of paradoxes, visions, emotions and wit. His poetry has also been described as stripping the streets to nightmares, bringing "a visceral joy to readers," and being "powered by wild, associative leaps." The
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Lerner's work has not yet been fully collected in an available edition. A considerable amount of Lerner's work is still unpublished, including poems, prose, and a large volume of letters.
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In 1996, Lerner and other members of the
Babarians did a series of readings in Germany. Lerner was also known for throwing peanuts at people during readings when their writing was bad.
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216:, edited by Lerner, Vinograd and Alan Allen. The anthology includes a selection of his poetry including "Mein Kampf." His poetry has also been reprinted in
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said that Lerner's poetry showcases his "angst and alienation" and that he "clearly embraces the madness and despair of ... his own dark world" while
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as a "poetry phenomenon" for his powerful performances, under Lerner's guidance Cafe Babar soon became known as the West Coast counterpart of the
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Lerner's common-law wife Maura O'Connor also published poetry. Lerner was also associated in the early 1960s with cult leader
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413:"Review of New American Underground Poetry. Vol. 1: The Babarians of San Francisco—Poets from Hell" by Charles P. Ries,
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426:"Word Up: San Francisco's Spoken Word Scene Has Some of the Best Poets Working in America Today" by Cary Tennis,
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wrote the poem "For David Lerner: Death of a Poet" in his honor. Richard Cohn also wrote a poem in his honor.
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54:". Lerner later moved to San Francisco and worked as a journalist, but left that career to live a
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522:"Poet David Lerner: Still Floating, Bobbin on the Surface of Oblivion ..." by Jeffrey McDaniel,
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547:"Tribute to Outlaw Poetry: A Review of Recent Releases from Zeitgeist Press" by Rich Logsdon,
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Lerner and Bruce
Isaacson co-founded Zeitgeist Press and have been referred to as "the
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edited by David Lerner, Julia
Vinograd and Alan Allen, Trafford Publishing, 2010.
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movement that was also developing in New York and
Chicago locations such as the
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and came from a family of
Russian-Jewish renegades, growing up as a so-called "
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Lerner's poetry has been read by people attempting to recover from addiction.
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In the mid-Eighties he became involved with poetry readings at Cafe Babar in
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Northern Hope poetry classes give patients a new outlet, means of expression
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who helped lead the influential poetry group the
Babarians at Cafe Babar in
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San
Francisco - literarisches Porträt in der Pankower Literaturwerkstatt
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New
American Underground Poetry, Vol 1: The Babarians of San Francisco
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Lyric
Essentials: William Taylor Jr. Reads 'The Heart' by David Lerner
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New American Underground Poetry, Vol 1: The Babarians of San Francisco
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New American Underground Poetry, Vol 1: The Babarians of San Francisco
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by Alan Kaufman, Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 1999, pages 218-19.
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After Lerner died in 1997, Zeitgeist published his final collection
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by Alan Kaufman, DAVKA: Jewish Cultural Revolution, 1997, page 61.
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by Julia Vinograd, Zeitgeist Press, Berkeley, CA, 2005, page 14.
30:(November 23, 1951 – July 1, 1997) was an American outlaw
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Reading the Sphere: A Geography of Contemporary American Poetry
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edited by Mark Eleveld, Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2007, page 94.
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567:" by Julie O’Yang, Singapore Review of Books, October 4, 2013.
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spontaneous, magical, and more than a little bit dangerous."
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edited by David Lerner, Julia Vinograd and Alan Allen (2006)
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A Bouquet of Nails: The Uncollected Poems of David Lerner
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by Richard Silberg, Berkeley Hills Books, 2001, page 82.
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have been cited as influences on Lerner's poetry, which
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O Powerful Western Star: Poetry & Art in California
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100 Profiles: Sam Sax Shakes Up the S.F. Slam Scene
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212:In 2006 Trafford Publishing released the anthology
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401:by Jack Foley, Pantograph Press, 2000, page 211.
316:"Bunker Down with a Good Book" by Meagan Black,
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332:by Alan Kaufman, Viva Editions, 2013, page 295.
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201:After his death, Lerner was named in
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99:of the underground." According to
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247:The American Book of the Dead
171:burn my initials into the sun
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259:The Last Five Miles to Grace
187:The Last Five Miles to Grace
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671:20th-century American poets
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428:San Francisco Bay Guardian
267:(2006, CD, also on iTunes)
241:Why Rimbaud Went to Africa
83:Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
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443:" by Friederike Freier,
365:"About David Lerner" by
330:Drunken Angel: A Memoir
305:david lerner|mein kampf
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371:Spirit Caller Magazine
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167:is make poetry famous
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160:In the poem he says:
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495:Contemporary Authors
253:Pray Like the Hunted
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606:Face to face: Poems
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415:Hiram Poetry Review
318:Arc Poetry Magazine
173:all I want to do is
169:all I want to do is
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46:Lerner was born in
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165:“all I want to do
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582:The Recorder
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666:1997 deaths
661:1951 births
551:, page 155.
278:Anthologies
97:T. S. Eliot
75:poetry slam
655:Categories
594:Who We Are
291:References
93:Ezra Pound
462:SF Weekly
134:Bob Dylan
112:Mel Lyman
273:(2022)
255:(1992)
249:(1991)
243:(1989)
237:(1988)
197:Legacy
125:Poetry
136:and
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42:Life
32:poet
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