INVADING THE PHILADELPHIA FRINGE FESTIVAL WITH THE POET WHO LOVED AND WELCOMED ALL POETS
TED BERRIGAN
FRIDAY, 9/12/08, 7:30pm
corner of Elfreth's Alley & 2nd St.
(on 2nd btw Race and Arch)
look for the sign TED BERRIGAN IS HERE!
BRING YOUR FAVORITE TED BERRIGAN POEMS TO READ!
(if it rains we'll read inside the Philly Fringe Office)
Minuet
the bear eats honey
between the harbored sighs
inside my heart
where you were
no longer exists
blank bitch
"One of the more pronounced themes of Ted Berrigan's poetry career was his encouragement of younger poets: he spoke & practiced an ethic of encouragement. Partly he was obsessed by the fact that he had managed to become a poet in spite of obstacles of class background & everyone's & his general obtuseness about poetry. One thing he used to say was to the effect, 'All I've ever wanted is to be a poet, & I've gotten my wish... And I didn't say 'great poet'--I don't want that--I said 'poet.'' The implication was that to want to be a 'great poet' was a slightly inferior aspiration; to be a poet was magical & complete."
--Alice Notley, from preface of the Susan Timmons book LOCKED FROM THE OUTSIDE, winner of the inaugural Ted Berrigan Award in 1990
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