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Hand on the Doorknob
In Hand on The Doorknob, we finally have a concise selection of Charles Plymell's best prose and poetry. Kansas, San Francisco, New York, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, R. Crumb - these are but a few of the places and people that Plymell writes about in Hand on The Doorknob.
- GenresPoetry
204 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 10, 2013
The book I actually read was Plymell's BENZEDRINE HIGHWAY, which has most of the same contents. I found it more interesting--and skillful--than most of the Beat writing I've read.
April 25, 2025
I had the pleasure of meeting Charly and Pam Plymell about 2 weeks ago at CS Miller Bookstore in Norwich NY for poetry month. The event was called Last Beat Standing. Just like the book, his stories are an ode to a time which only these Beat poets were truly able to capture first hand. Through their poems, stories, books they wrote. While I appreciate hearing stories about 'men being men' at a time when it was the 'good ole days', what I truly appreciated about this work is the honesty and truth with which he captured the climate of the times: politically, socially, economically, and of course the current to then pop culture that we all recognize references for.
My favorite poem was Not a Regular Kansas Sermon which is a poem to his mother while she is in the hospital. He speaks about the healthcare system in place at the time (which not much has changed apparently). Maybe I'm more sensitive to this subject given our current 2025 climate around the topic. It's a good balance of dedication to his ill mother who was a very strong person and accomplished some pretty amazing things and a showcase of just how unjust the healthcare system is in America.
Some of the 'fiction' sounds like typical upstate NY redneck sh!t. Ha...no offense. Its not nearly as interesting as listening to his ride along drug parties the poets used to take.
A beautiful and misunderstood poet. But also, upon meeting him you can't even miss his tour de force wife, Pam. She was his ride or die since they were young. Probably had a lot of influence on the man. She herself being well-connected in the literary crowd since birth. If you get the chance to attend one of their events, Mr. Plymell is 92 years old this month.
My favorite poem was Not a Regular Kansas Sermon which is a poem to his mother while she is in the hospital. He speaks about the healthcare system in place at the time (which not much has changed apparently). Maybe I'm more sensitive to this subject given our current 2025 climate around the topic. It's a good balance of dedication to his ill mother who was a very strong person and accomplished some pretty amazing things and a showcase of just how unjust the healthcare system is in America.
Some of the 'fiction' sounds like typical upstate NY redneck sh!t. Ha...no offense. Its not nearly as interesting as listening to his ride along drug parties the poets used to take.
A beautiful and misunderstood poet. But also, upon meeting him you can't even miss his tour de force wife, Pam. She was his ride or die since they were young. Probably had a lot of influence on the man. She herself being well-connected in the literary crowd since birth. If you get the chance to attend one of their events, Mr. Plymell is 92 years old this month.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews