Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A rare picture.....

I just found this picture. Photographed on Haight St. San Francisco, in '68 are (L) Michael McClure, and (R) Richard Brautigan. The photo was taken by McClure's cousin Rhyder.

McClure is best known for his controversial '60's play The Beard (a beard is a person who goes out on dates with someone, to disguise the other person's infidelities or sexual orientation). The basis for the play is Billy The Kid meeting Jean Harlow in the great hereafter, resulting in soul searching dialog between the two , and a sexual episode between them in the end. McClure was constantly busted for it's content when it was performed in SF, and LA back then. Now, nobody would think twice about it's content.

But, most of you will know McClure for his book Freewheelin' Frank-Secretary Of The Angels, As Told To Michael McClure By Frank Reynolds. McClure also penned the lyrics for Janis Joplin's song Mercedes Benz. McClure was a prolific writer, and many of his poems and stories have been used for many TV and movie plots.

Richard Brautigan was a Beat poet and author who made the transition into the San Francisco "scene" in the '60's. His best known works are Trout Fishing In America, and Revenge Of The Lawn. GO TO YOUR BOOKSTORE, BUY THEM, and READ THESE BOOKS! They are great works.

Michael McClure is still writing and touring, but unfortunately, Richard Brautigan committed suicide in Bolinas, CA., in 1984.

6 comments:

drsprocket said...

Rich,The depths of your mind know no bottom. The whole beat thing from late 40's to late 50's is unmined gold. Both coasts were alive. especially New York and San Francisco. Music, books, art, and personalities. From wench the hippies evolved in the early 60's. To cool for school man, swing it daddy-o!

INSURGENCY INC said...

Nice find.
-AM

Chris K said...

I.R. really knows his shit. I jest likes da pitcher of da purdy motorsickel.

mindpill said...

again.............

Guy@GK said...

Great stuff. Didn't know he rode bikes too.

Larry Keenan (who took the Frank photo for the book's cover) is another interesting character from that era.

http://greasykulture.blogspot.com/2008/07/freewheelin-frank.html

John Copeland said...

thanks Rich, That rules.

Michael McClure teaches at the California College of the Arts where I went to school and I never had any idea he had been into bikes.

Had him as a teacher when I was there in the mid 90s going to school. small world.