The original American surrealist returns in a new edition of the 1967 classicamp34I am eager to do a book of yoursamp34 Lawrence Ferlinghetti wrote to Philip Lamantia in Nerja Spain in 1966 amp34What about SELECTED POEMS OF PHILIP LAMANTIAamp34 The missive came at the right time as Lamantia had recently reembraced the surrealism of his youth and sought to publish his current work alongside his key poems of the 1940s when the then15yearold poet was published by warexiled leader of the Surrealist Movement Andramp233eacute Breton For Breton the young poet was a new Rimbaud but Lamantia also became known as a poet of the Beat Generation participating in the 1955 Six Gallery Reading where Allen Ginsberg debuted amp34Howlamp34 A pioneer of San Franciscos psychedelic culture Lamantia reemerged through City Lights at the crest of the Summer of LoveSelected Poems of Philip Lamantia reflects each facet of the poets development up to the point of its publication amp34Revelations of a Surreal Youth 19431945amp34 includes the incendiary poems from his teenage years which brought him early avantgarde fame including his signature amp34Touch of the Marvelousamp34 amp34Trance Ports 1948amp82111961amp34 covers the Beat years evincing increasing involvement with mysticism esoterism and religion Finally amp34Secret Freedom 1963amp82111966amp34 heralds his return to surrealism cementing his countercultural bona fides with the LSDfueled amp34Blue Graceamp34 the zigzagging Kundaliniinspired...
