One-Man Boat: The George Hitchcock Reader

by George Hitchcock

Poetry, fiction, and drama by George Hitchcock, a -major American writer/editor of the 20th century. Foreword by Philip Levine. Introduction by Robert McDowell. In 1960 George Hitchcock founded the San Francisco Review. In 1964, he launched Kayak magazine and press. Both established the work and careers of Robert Bly, Raymond Carver, Charles Simic, James Tate, Kathleen Fraser, Anne Sexton, John Haines, W. S. Merwin, Carolyn Kizer, and many others. Hitchcock also authored several books of distinctive, Surrealist poetry, widely produced plays, and fiction. This book includes work from all three genres, and a section on Kayak . George Hitchcock , at 86, divides his time between Harrisburg, Oregon, and La Paz, Mexico.

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

George Parks Hitchcock (June 2, 1914 – August 27, 2010) was an American actor, poet, playwright, teacher, labor activist, publisher, and painter. He is best known for creating Kayak, a poetry magazine that he published as a one-man operation from 1964 to 1984. Equally important, Hitchcock published writers under the "Kayak" imprint including the first two books by Charles Simic, second books by Philip Levine and Raymond Carver, translations by W.S. Merwin, and early books by Robert Bly and James Tate.

Hitchcock was born in Hood River, Oregon, graduating in 1935 from the University of Oregon, where he was a reporter on the school newspaper. After college, he worked as a journalist for several labor movement periodicals, including The Western Worker and The People’s Daily World, simultaneously developing an interest in poetry which was fostered by Kenneth Rexroth. He joined the United States Merchant Marine during World War II, and worked as a cook and a waiter in the South Pacific.

After the war, he became more active in the labor movement, working to organize dairy workers in California and teaching at the California Labor School. Later, he became active in the San Francisco theater scene, writing plays and acting with the Actor's Workshop and the Interplayers while working as a landscape gardener.

While performing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1957, Hitchcock was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, where in response to a question asking him his profession, he responded, "I am a gardener. I do underground work on plants". He refused to answer any further questions "on the grounds that this hearing is a big bore and waste of the public's money."

Reviews

[Cooper Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compendium of poems, stories, plays, and essays and interviews related to Hitchcock's magazine "kayak"--and a transcript of his testimony before the House Unamerican Activities Committee!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

(In the interest of full disclosure, Mr. Hitchcock is a great friend, a mentor and someone I hold in the highest regard.) This "reader" includes a selection of the man's poems, plays, short stories interviews and even the transcript of Mr. Hitchcock's hilarious testimony before the committee of Un-American Activities. An added bonus are samples of his famous/infamous rejection slips sent to those whose submissions, to his influential magazine, KAYAK, fell short of the mark. The book is a joy—and an excellent way to make acquaintance of an authentic man of letters.

[James Grinwis · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Hitchcock was a surrealist visionary and this anthology of selected work, interviews, etc will be a surprise. The poems are legendary at times. If you are a fan of poets like Simic, Bly, Edson, and Tate, you will be delightfully surprised by this less famous but no less capable bard of the pen.

[Mills College Library]

818.5409 H6745o 2003