Desert Journal.

by ruth weiss

ruth weiss is one of the last living significant poets of the Beat Generation. Born to a Jewish family during the rise of Nazism, she eventually made her way to the United States where she became friends with, and a contemporary of, the likes of Jack Kerouac and many other artists of the 1950s American counter-culture movement of San Francisco (specifically in North Beach). In the 1960s she began spelling her name in lowercase letters in a symbolic protest against “law and order” since in her birthplace of Germany all nouns are capitalized. She continues to perform live in North Beach and at many jazz and poetry festivals around the world. In this age of high-speed information exchange, she still uses her “Loyal Royal” metal typewriter, and lives deep in the Northern California forests of Mendocino County, USA.From author ruth weiss on writing DESERT a life of its own — this book DESERT JOURNAL. thought it would be novel to write a novel. do the math. 5 x 4 = 200. so for 40 days do 5 pages. decision. 5 pages non-stop each day whatever surfaces. even if only one word per page. forget characters & plot. this is a novel moderne. focus — the internal desert. being a water-sign — most fearful place the desert. need to explore that place. had never been to the actual desert. 1961. begin. it was finished in 1968. 7 years. readings through those years had audience call numbers up to the point of completion. someone would always ask “how do you know this about me?” DESERT JOURNAL has a life of its own. i’m only the instrument. sent manuscript out. no takers. 1975. went to NEW YORK CITY. in & out of publishing houses. no takers. back home in SAN FRANCISCO. no mistaking the message. MAGNETIZE THE CALL FOR IT. a week later. phone call from BOSTON. CHARLEY SHIVELY of GOOD GAY POETS press. had heard me at WILD SIDE WEST, a women’s bar in SAN FRANCISCO. i had mentioned looking for a publisher. DESERT JOURNAL came out in 1977. currently i’ve stolen lines from it & collaged into new poems — LIGHT WORKS, BYPASS LINZ, & SUICIDE DREAMS. 40 days — 7 years. those numbers have far-reaching biblical references. was not aware of that. now, thanks to DAVID BRINKS of TREMBLING PILLOW press in NEW ORLEANS, this book continues as a reprint. on a life of its own.

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

ruth weiss was a German-born poet, performer, playwright and artist who made her home and career in the United States. weiss was an artist of the Beat Generation, a label she embraced later in her life and that is used frequently by historians detailing her life and works.

weiss spelled her name in lowercase as such as a symbolic protest against "law and order," since in her birthplace of Germany all nouns are spelled capitalized.

--from wikipedia

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jo Berliner]

I really did want to like this, mostly out of interest piqued by weiss's background, but I found just the language hard to get through - it often feels like the words and lines have just been strung and pieced together. This would, perhaps, be more readily appreciated by someone equipped with a background and understanding of beat poetry, which I don't really have. I got to about Day 20 and had to stop, because I didn't feel as though I was truly appreciating what I was reading.

(book received for free through Goodreads First Reads)