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10th out of 136 books
—
86 voters
The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry
by
Alan Kaufman (Goodreads Author) ,
S.A. Griffin
From the Beat poetry of the '50s to the spoken word of today, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry brings readers the words, visions, and extravagant lives of bohemians, beatniks, hippies, punks, and slackers. Like Donald Allen's epochal New American Poetry, The Outlaw Bible will serve as a primer for generational revolt and poetic expression, and is an enduring document of...more
Paperback, 736 pages
Published
October 27th 1999
by Basic Books
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This is a fabulous book of poetry. Not the kind of poetry you're going to read in your high school English Lit class. This is real straight-from-the-gut poetry. But you'll recognize some of the names here - Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and other famous poets. But most of the poets here are real wild and not your straight-laced academics. My only criticism is that it is heavily weighted toward Beat poetry, probably a little too much, but the poetry it includes (most of it) is well worth the read. Hu...more
so far so good. This is a good collection of poets that are kings and queens of the underground press. There is a good selection of slam poetry that is not always presented in anthology form, which is a worthy enterprise in itself. Blessedly, some of the big names of the post beats are missing, and I mean 'blessedly' because the representation for academic and for decidedly non-academic academic narrative fills the shelves of every bookseller in the world.
It's good to read what you don't alread...more
It's good to read what you don't alread...more
As stated in the publisher's note, "the anthology's intent is to create a forum for poetry that is urgent, visceral and at times redemptive".
In this Bible there are poems which make me laugh, cry, and poems which turn my stomach that I would never call poems. There are poems which have nothing to do with changing society and poems which can ONLY change something about the person reading them, which will in fact, change society. Ezra Pound, the father of the maxim “Make it new” also said that “T...more
In this Bible there are poems which make me laugh, cry, and poems which turn my stomach that I would never call poems. There are poems which have nothing to do with changing society and poems which can ONLY change something about the person reading them, which will in fact, change society. Ezra Pound, the father of the maxim “Make it new” also said that “T...more
I hate this book because the editor's intent seems to be to turn off aspiring literates from poetry forever. The selection is mixed, Mike Topp, Frank O'Hara, Harold Norse, Tom Waits and other left-of-center artists representing the good side, and a pastiche of Ani DiFranco ripoffs and shitty Z-list beat poets champing the other. Some other questionable inclusions: Why, of all Ginsberg poems, would you put motherfucking Homage to Hersch in there? At least have Please Master so the kids can derp a...more
Now this is a fun little (well actually big) anthology of poetry by bad asses of all sorts. You are pissed. Angry even. This is the book that will add the salt to the open wound. Poor it on baby because you are going to eat this book like it's the last meal.
Marvelous anthology of the poetry of some of America's most renegade poets...
you're not a poet if it's not on your shelf!!!
From the Beat poetry of the '50s to the spoken word of today, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry brings readers the words, visions, and extravagant lives of bohemians, beatniks, hippies, punks, and slackers. Like Donald Allen's epochal New American Poetry, The Outlaw Bible will serve as a primer for generational revolt and poetic expression, and is an enduring document of the visionary tradition of authenticity and nonconformity in literature. This exuberant manifesto includes lives of the poet...more
I don't normally attribute much personality or merit to the fixture of stars in these reviews. All too often a star becomes a soap box for someone's personal agenda. I am just as guilty of this kind of rigmarole as the worst I've seen so I try not to judge. All the same stars are a grouping of tripe. Really I only aspire to punctuate a review with stars as a way to adjust the base average of a book. So the truly exceptional or horrible are really the ones in which I am being the most honest, the...more
Jan 16, 2009
Eric
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Cristen Bradshaw
Shelves:
poetry
OK...though this is one of my favorite books of poetry, I am selective about which poets I've really enjoyed from it. I do credit this book, however, with introducing me to slam poetry, the likes of which I'd never read or heard onstage before. At the time, I was in college, and The Outlaw Bible helped me discover such poetic "outlaws" as Tupac Shakur, Patricia Smith, Taylor Mali, Pedro Pietri, Mike Mollett, and Bob Flanagan (of Sick fame).
The major difference, as I see it, between this book and...more
The major difference, as I see it, between this book and...more
I liked the concept of the anthology, for these last several decades so much of “establishment poetry” seems indiscriminate.
But this book, excluding maybe a half-dozen poems, was utterly bogus. It featured the same circle-jerk as “the establishment”, only these poems lacked any sort of craft or refinement.
One especially memorable stanza said: “I want people to hear my poetry and vomit.”
Mission accomplished.
But this book, excluding maybe a half-dozen poems, was utterly bogus. It featured the same circle-jerk as “the establishment”, only these poems lacked any sort of craft or refinement.
One especially memorable stanza said: “I want people to hear my poetry and vomit.”
Mission accomplished.
I really like poetry, and most of the best literature was at one time considered distasteful or blacklisted (in my opinion), so this anthology was a pretty good match. Although it didn't have Bukowski (which surprised me), the poetry in it was unique and most of it really resonated with me. I found a lot of poets I hadn't otherwise known about, and read a lot of poems I enjoyed. I'd recommend it.
I've tried reading this book twice and I'm OVER it. Fair warning: I've never been a fan of poetry. It's taken me a while to warm up to it and after an awesome Walt Whitman experience and finishing a couple books of sonnets that I liked I thought I'd check out beat poetry.
Bad decision. I'm about 200 pages or so in and most of it seems word salad-y (ringing, stinging, flower stalks, glory devine, chair overturned on an overwhelmed platform--WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO IDEA) and heavy hand...more
Bad decision. I'm about 200 pages or so in and most of it seems word salad-y (ringing, stinging, flower stalks, glory devine, chair overturned on an overwhelmed platform--WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO IDEA) and heavy hand...more
a librarian in my hometown recommended this. d.a. levy, amazing truth reality. ... great variety, wonderful culty bios. even some sexy poems, too. this book is like a pandora's box of dank poetry that i have barely cracked open past d.a. levy and his awesomeness, and yet, just turning to one page at random, a+. a poetry anthology i actually use. timeless.
Rich and wonderful so far. Rather than reading it straight through I leave this one around the apartment for short reads. Capturing the vibrant and vital poetry of the various counter culture movements, the selections are often intense and raw, sometimes gritty, and almost always resonate with the problems of our current world.
My biggest complaint about this anthology is the inclusion of pop culture icons better known for their part in other types of art (such as musicians Patti Smith, Tupac Shakur, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, and so on). I was happy to see poems by d.a. levy and Bob Flanagan, and very happy to see a whole section devoted to the Unbearables.
ok, so I didn't read the entire book and now I can't find it. I am going to look at the library. I read some of these poems a couple years ago and continue to think of them on a regular basis. Some phrases have become part of my internal dialogue and still make me laugh.
This collection of poems and short stories is amazing. On a car ride from Pennsylvania to key west and back i finished every single page. Amazed by every different poem in the book. From james dean to allen ginsberg this book as it all. Oh the ode to a tijuana tiolet!!
Bombastic and overwhelming, missing a few key figures because their families wouldn't grant the publishing rights (Bukowski), but contains others that might not have been included, like Tupac Shakur & Tom Waits. A good intro.
I gave this five stars because this book introduced me to so many writers that I fell in love with. I reference it frequently. The poems are not all examples of the writers' best, but rather, show some more obscure work.
Simply the BEST anthology of anti-establishment poetry available on your bookstore's shelves. Don't turn to it for cute love poems or heart-warming verses. This is an oil well pumping high-quality, in-your-face rebellion.
A great collection of some of the greatest unknowns. Offbeat rhyme, slandering prose, mindless, senseless thoughts that were once jumbled up in someone's brain are transformed into beautiful sadness scrawled across pages.
What a great collection of poetry - much of it rebellious in tone (the great American virtue). It literally is the "wafer thin mint" because it truly leaves you craving more. This collection really spans our literary history. The undergrounds, the Beats, the Punks and even Walt Whitman, for good measure. And it's not just their "best known works" - for instance, Ginsburg is here but "Howl" is not. It just gives you a tiny taste of what these artists created and you want to rush out and read more...more
A little heavy on the beat poets, of whom I am not terribly fond, but an otherwise stellar collection of poetry from the gritty underbelly of America. T.S. Eliot it ain't.
This book was given to me by Sam Orgavani for high school graduation. I read it while I was working at the BW library. It did me a world of good my freshman year.
An interesting perspective from many unique artists. I could do without the vulgarity that many of the female poets write with concerning other females. It seemed forced and like they were using the vulgarity to prove how cutting edge they were, instead of actually contributing to the images they create.
Suprisingly well laid out with excellent "backstories" to explain timeframes and authors.
I would suggest this to poetry anthology addicts and poetry students.
I would suggest this to poetry anthology addicts and poetry students.
I can not put into words how this book has affected my life. The book is lined and scribbled with favorite stanzas. Everyone should read this collection.
I didn't hate this book, but I wasn't particularly moved or engaged by it either. The concept seemed to outshine the content. Oh well.
I personally really liked Sara Holbrook's Chicks Up Front, Hettie Jones' Words, and Julia Vinograd's In the Bookstore.
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Alan Kaufman's novel Matches was published by Little, Brown and Company in the Fall of 2005. David Mamet has called Matches "an extraordinary war novel," and Dave Eggers has written that "there is more passion here then you see in twenty other books combined." Kaufman's critically-acclaimed memoir, Jew Boy (Fromm/Farrar,Strauss, Giroux), has appeared in three editions, hardcover and paperback, in...more
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