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Selected Poems
Ultimately Lew's poems are devotional songs to the Goddess Gaia . . . -Gary Snyder
- GenresPoetry
102 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1976
36 people want to read
About the author
Lew Welch
38 books17 followersLewis Barrett Welch, Jr. is an American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts.
According to Aram Saroyan who wrote Genesis Angels: The Saga of Lew Welch and the Beat Generation, Welch decided to become a writer after reading Gertrude Stein's long story "Melanctha." Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s, and taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970.
On May 23, 1971, he walked out of poet Gary Snyder's house in the mountains of California, carrying his 30-30 rifle and leaving behind a suicide note. His body was never found.
According to Aram Saroyan who wrote Genesis Angels: The Saga of Lew Welch and the Beat Generation, Welch decided to become a writer after reading Gertrude Stein's long story "Melanctha." Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s, and taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970.
On May 23, 1971, he walked out of poet Gary Snyder's house in the mountains of California, carrying his 30-30 rifle and leaving behind a suicide note. His body was never found.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 6, 2025
I arrived at Lew Welch’s by way of Jack Kerouac. It’s tragic reading about all these men having fun and being enlightened in the mountains, only to meet their death in such fateful ways. Like each our lives was a numbered billiard ball, and God was the master player behind the cue. He aims and where the ball ends is at the mercy of Him. Does he mean to strike so hard? Does he mean for the game to go his way? I think he also plays games of chances with our lives.
This poetry collection was mostly easy to digest, with some poems being short and witty and others elongated and more complex in language. There’s a good variety here for everybody’s taste. You get some good beatnik insights as well as pain and confusion but also beauty that every attentive human experiences.
I would recommend “He Begins to Recount His Adventures” followed by “HE EXPLAINS IT ANOTHER WAY” which goes together with it.
“Shrineless,I
pilgrim
through the world.”
This poetry collection was mostly easy to digest, with some poems being short and witty and others elongated and more complex in language. There’s a good variety here for everybody’s taste. You get some good beatnik insights as well as pain and confusion but also beauty that every attentive human experiences.
I would recommend “He Begins to Recount His Adventures” followed by “HE EXPLAINS IT ANOTHER WAY” which goes together with it.
“Shrineless,I
pilgrim
through the world.”
July 19, 2023
I came across this in my drive to quench the thirst for more Gary Snyder poetry. Lew was a close friend of Snyder's, and has much of the same natural and Buddhist sorts of themes in his poetry. He is more cynical, maybe more funny, but I prefer Snyder.
These are worth the read, though. My favorite is "He Prepares to Take Leave of His Hut."
Recommended for noticers of lichen.
These are worth the read, though. My favorite is "He Prepares to Take Leave of His Hut."
Recommended for noticers of lichen.
May 17, 2012
Not well know, but a great poet, and I love Gay Snyder all the more because he continues to champion the late Welch.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews