Bard, Kinetic

The expansive, countercultural, and wildly prolific life of celebrated poet Anne Waldman, in her own words.




In Bard, Kinetic, Anne Waldman assembles a layered compendium of essays, letters, poems, and interviews that form a panoramic portrait of her life and praxis as a groundbreaking poet. Waldman charts her journey through a maelstrom of radical artistic activity, from growing up in Greenwich Village, to creative partnership with Allen Ginsburg and touring with Bob Dylan. She recalls founding the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church and later the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University and discusses her political and artistic philosophy thatguides her activities as writer, activist, performer, instigator, and Buddhist practitioner. Throughout Bard, Kinetic Waldman pays homage to the friends and collaborators, many of whom are no longer with us, including Amiri Baraka, Lou Reed, John Ashberry, and Diane di Prima. Waldman's experiences serve as a guide for others committed to making the world a more conscious and conscientious place that soars with poetry.