SAN FRANCISCO: MEETING LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI!

MEETING Mr. Lawrence Ferlinghetti in San Francisco, in North Beach Café Triest!   

I had a great luck, I could meet Mr. Lawrence Ferlinghetti!!

He was born 24.3. 1919 in France.

We met in his favorite - since many many years Café Trieste. Not only him comes here, also other writers, poets, as you can see below also Jack Hirschman, the poet, activist and wonderful person came here to drink coffee and read some news... We know each other, so it was a nice encounter here!! I had an interview with Mr. Ferlinghetti!!

I prepared for the interview... I had many many questions, there is so much to ask him, to write about him, to show about him, there are books, some documentary film, facts pictures etc.. 

I didnt know where to start. Surely he answered to some of my questions already hundred times, repeat the history is nice but also exhausting, and I didn´t want to exhaust him, but I wished to hear from him all what is today legendary: the Beat Generation... and I told him, the publisher is the basement for all the writers, poets in other case without any publisher the poets, writers are despearate, the great luck is to be published, no worries where is the other book published! - And Lawrence Ferlinghetti made this happen, he created the space for the genearation of writers who were against conformity, as himself, I could still feel his spirit, his revolutionary spirit, I respected still in his age. Respect to his endevour! He is the spark, the spirit for the Beat Generation!! Doubtless...  

I was reading one of his many interviews and he said: Many authors become a fellowship, awards from the state, they have their freedom, they have a time, space to create - but they don´t say in fact nothing!! - and with this I AGREE - this is what we wrote in our POET´S MANIFESTO, I told him: People writer poets don´t sleep - speak up!!! READ here on my blog. http://milenaoda.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-manifesto-people-writers-poets-dont.html - I told him that this is absolute true, and he smiled, he smiles gently, but he is also very critical... it was a dialog!

He was very nice, but he didnt allow me to be curious about him, he was about me... I wasn´t prepared for it! Well, he asked me what I do... as a writer?

If I have some poems, texts in English with me, he said, he would like to see it! Yeah, I had some, I had the MANIFESTO with me, it was very important for me he reads it... But I didn´t expect the questions and his curiosity..., how nice, well, this is a real publisher!! When I was desperate, this won´t be any classical interview for the radio, I asked him: "Can you tell me something about the Beat Generation?"

And he said: "What is the Beat Generation?"

And he smiled about his funny question, because he told me immediatly: When he was in Paris and accidently he met Jean Paul Sartre, he came to him and said: "Oh, Mr. Sartre, is it you?" - And J.P. Sartre answered: Je n´existe pas." How cute! I laughed! - 

Well, this is the right answer, alright, me as a writer should tell him, what is for me the Beat Generation! For me: inspiration!! My road, my way through the USA with a lot of adventures, surely I write about it more than only here! And: 

I saw two performances as a student in the Czech Republic of Allen Ginsberg. - Upon this time I expressed my wish to go to the USA!! It took 15 years to realize it. 

I am happy to be here! With all the Beats now! I also met a woman Martini, by accident, a friend of my friend she was "on the road" with the Beats, Allen Ginsberg, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gary Snyder etc... amazing to feel this generation of LSD, drugs, I don´t think this is a big dealt to take drugs, no, just to meet them today, they are still alive...  

Actually all the time our interview was a talk... a dialog... he put me some more questions... about my essays - Dog´s Freedom, about the POET´S MANIFESTO I wrote with Topalante in SAN FRANCISCO - were are the BEATEN GENERATION, he asked me - why - beaten? Well, beaten by all the "Best of" "be perfect" be "all in one" but we are all human beings, not perfect, we just fake the "best of" etc... 

I gave him to read it properly and my poetry aswell...and then I filmed him with Jack, I was a bit shy to film, but this is soo unique time, he is about 93 years old, a great respect Mr. Ferlinghetti!  

 And here is the City Lights Boostore: I guide through the City Lights...

Café Trieste in North Beach in San Francisco....
  

And here is Jack Hirchmann, the poet, translator, activist with both men I could speak in four languages, in French, Italian, German and Russia (the last both with Jack)

Jack, Lawrence - please one nice foto all together!!

 

-- What is the Beat Generation for you??

--- AND WHAT IS THE BEATEN GENERATION (OURS) FOR YOU??