License to Carry a Gun

by Andrei Codrescu

A reissuing of the debut collection of poems by the noted National Public Radio commentator Andrei Codrescu.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Andrei Codrescu is a poet, novelist, essayist, and NPR commentator. His many books include Whatever Gets You through the Night, The Postmodern Dada Guide, and The Poetry Lesson. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009.

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

what happened to me.
it isn't only the war in vietnam.
it's the war of my blood,
the small wars in immaculate labs,
the war of children in the flesh of assaba,
the war in cosmos over the heads of philosophers.
death, magnetic void of my balance,
beloved one of my sanity,
your silk shoes are soft in the dreams of my brothers.
you finish the milk in the glass
of the rebellious husband
and give sleep to his pain-ridden mate.
don't touch me,
i am your holy mouth

[Gabriele Laca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farewell Rublëv (the tennis player, the icon painter or tarkovskij's film? the answer to that I do not know myself).
Codrescu is now my favourite Andrei.

[Billy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picturing this Romanian on the cover; this is not the astute man, this is the astute Youth. Posing in a NY City Trash can, in the late 60s early 70s!!

That's as New York as New York gets, I hear told.

The style is so different, especially when I read it was today . The 3 seperate "personalities" show his love of Dadaism in the parental totem figure of Tzara showing up in his work as well as Rose c'est la vie.

This man can do no wrong lyrically.

[Carlos Cumpian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had just come from Texas and bought this hardcover book in 1970 in a Wells Street Barbara's Books in Chicago. It was part of the big table publishing company's vol 3 in the younger poets series. The fact that there were so many "poetic voices" coming from a ethnic poet knocked me out. The fact that Andrei has gone on to write so many great poems and publish and promote hundreds of people makes me happy. Que Viva Codrescu!

[Param Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a signed copy at a used bookstore. Codrescu crossed out "Gun" in the title and replaced it with "Big Mouth."

[Cami Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never really liked a man writing from the perspective of a woman, never translates well

[Mills College Library]

811.54 C671L 1970