But Even So

by Kenneth Patchen

From the appearance in 1936 of Kenneth Patchen's first book, the voice of this great poet has been protesting war and social injustice, satirizing the demeaning and barbarous inanities of our culture--entrancing us with an inexhaustible flow of humor and fantasy.

Genres: Poetry

1 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Kenneth Patchen was an American poet and novelist. He experimented with different forms of writing and incorporated painting, drawing, and jazz music into his works, which have been compared with those of William Blake and Walt Whitman. Patchen's biographer wrote that he "developed in his fabulous fables, love poems, and picture poems a deep yet modern mythology that conveys a sense of compassionate wonder amidst the world's violence." Along with his friend and peer Kenneth Rexroth, he was a central influence on the San Francisco Renaissance and the Beat Generation.

Reviews

[Craven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection "picture poems" from the mighty Patchen. He was laid up in bed in constant pain due to a culmination of disease and the aftereffects of a terrible accident when he wrote and painted these. Most of the time refusing any medication for pain, knowing would dull his mind and mission. As he says in here, "this bedroom is a battlefield."
While I like some of his earlier work better, this definitely remains as a solid artifact of a stubborn bastards refusal to go gently into the good night.

[Tiff Gibbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenneth Patchen is one of my favourite beatnik artists, although I am more familiar with his spoken word poetry than his books. I found this to be an easy, fun and engaging read. Well worth your time.

[Russ Mikow · Rating 5 out of 5]

44 picture-poems.

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended book in Chapter 6 of Berkley's 1983 paperback edition of Danse Macabre.