“PhilipwasavisionarylikeBlake,andhereallysawthewholeworldinagrainofsand.“--LawrenceFerlinghetti“Aninspiredconsciousnesssetatfulltiltinragingprotest,kisses,prayers,blessings,andoutrageddemands.Allfromthedeepestsilenceandfarthesttravel.“--MichaelMcClurePreservingFirerecountsthelifeandthoughtoftheSurrealist,BeatGeneration,andSanFranciscoRenaissancepoetPhilipLamantiathroughhisfugitiveproseworks.Rangingfrompoetrytopoliticstomythologytodance,frommanifestostotraveloguestowartimedeclarationsofconscientiousobjection,thesewritings,expertlycollectedbyfriendandlongtimeCityLightseditorGarrettCaples,offeradynamicpictureofLamantia’smultifacetedintellectuallifeandtheartisticmovementshehelpedshape.PhilipLamantia(1927-2005)wasaninfluentialSurrealist,Beat,andSanFranciscoRenaissancepoet.Heistheauthorofmanybooks,includingEroticPoems,TouchoftheMarvelous,MeadowlarkWest,TauandJourneytotheEnd,andTheCollectedPoemsofPhilipLamantia.GarrettCaplesistheauthorofmanybooks,mostrecentlyPowerBalladsandRetrievals.Heistheco-editorofTheCollectedPoemsofPhilipLamantiaandisaneditoratCityLightsBooks,wherehecuratestheSpotlightPoetrySeries.
