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Home » Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Biography Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, in full Lawrence Monsanto Ferlinghetti, (born March 24, 1919, Yonkers, New York, U.S.—died February 22, 2021, San Francisco, California), was an American poet, painter, social activist, and co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers.

Early life

Ferlinghetti’s father died shortly before Lawrence was born, his mother was placed in a mental hospital, and a female relative took him to France, where he spent most of his childhood. Later they lived on a Long Island, New York, estate on which she was employed as a governess. Ferlinghetti was a U.S. naval officer during World War II, and he received a B.A. at the University of North Carolina, an M.A. at Columbia University, and a doctorate at the Sorbonne in 1951.

In 1951 Ferlinghetti settled in San Francisco, and in 1953 he opened the City Lights Pocket Book Shop, which quickly became a gathering place for the city’s literary avant-garde. In 1955 Ferlinghetti’s new City Lights press published his verse collection Pictures of the Gone World, which was the first paperback volume of the Pocket Poets series. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems (1956) was originally published as the fourth volume in the series. City Lights Books printed other works by Ginsberg as well as books by Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, Denise Levertov, William Burroughs, William Carlos Williams, and foreign authors.

Painting

Alongside his bookselling and publishing, Ferlinghetti painted for 60 years and much of his work was displayed in galleries and museums throughout the United States.

In 2009, Ferlinghetti became a member of the Honour Committee of the Italian artistic literary movement IMMAGINE&POESIA, founded under the patronage of Aeronwy Thomas. A retrospective of Ferlinghetti's artwork, 60 Years of Painting, was staged in Rome and Reggio Calabria in 2010.

Jack Kerouac Alley

In 1987, he was the initiator of the transformation of Jack Kerouac Alley, located at the side of his shop. He presented his idea to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors calling for repavement and renewal.

Death

Ferlinghetti died of interstitial lung disease on February 22, 2021, at his home in San Francisco at age 101.

Recipe For Happiness Khaborovsk Or Anyplace

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Beautiful, Happiness, Sun, Tree, Woman, Women

Populist Manifesto No. 1

Lawrence Ferlinghetti America, Child, Children, City, Concrete, Fear, Haiku, Horse, House, Light, Poetry, Power, Sky, Sleep, Song, Strength, Suicide, Time, Women, World

In Goya’s Greatest Scenes We Seem to See . . .

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

London Crossfigured

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

The Changing Light

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Change, City, Fog, House, Light, Night, Ocean, Paris, Sea, Sun, Wind

Away Above A Harborful

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Hair, House, Laughter, Wind, Woman, Women

The Great Chinese Dragon

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Car, Cat, Concrete, Death, Dog, Fire, Future, Girl, Green, Happy, Mother, Red, Rose, Running, Sea, Sky, Spring, Water, Winter, World

Number 20

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Cat, Girl, Hair, Love, Running, September, Sun, Wind

Autobiography

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

The World Is A Beautiful Place

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Baby, Beautiful, Dance, Flower, Fun, Happiness, Heaven, Kiss, People, River, Sad, Smile, Summer, Swimming, Time, World

An Elegy On The Death Of Kenneth Patchen

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Angel, Childhood, Death, Elegy, Fear, Heaven, Horse, Laughter, Love, Music, Poetry, Sea, Silence, Sleep, Time, World

Dog

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

I Am Waiting

Lawrence Ferlinghetti America, Animal, Beauty, Childhood, Dream, God, Green, Happiness, Innocence, Lost, Music, Poem, Rain, Television, Together, War

History Of The Airplane

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Wild Dreams Of A New Beginning

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Concrete, Dream, Flower, Lost, Music, Sea, Swimming, Tree, Water

Bird With Two Right Wings

Lawrence Ferlinghetti America, Change, Destiny, Fun, Life

Driving A Cardboard Automobile Without A License

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Father, Fun, Mother, Running, Together

Poetry as Insurgent Art [I am signaling you through the flames]

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Constantly Risking Absurdity

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Beauty, Death, Sea, Truth

Sometime During Eternity

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Believe, Cat, Heaven, Sea, Time, Tree, World

The Pennycandystore Beyond The El

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Candy, Cat, Girl, Hair, Love, Running, September, Sun, Wind

Number 8

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Angel, Laughter, Light, Night, Rose, Smile

The Plough Of Time

Lawrence Ferlinghetti House, Moon, Night, Sky, Star, Time, Together

Underwear

Lawrence Ferlinghetti America, Believe, Death, Freedom, Hope, Murder, Night, People, Poetry, Sleep, Strength, Truth, Winter, Woman, Women

People Getting Divorced

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

To The Oracle At Delphi

Lawrence Ferlinghetti America, Dark, Despair, Dream, Future, Laughter, Light, Mother, People, Sea, Sleep, World

Dove Sta Amore

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Love, Night

Don’t Let That Horse

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Horse, Mother, Running

A Vast Confusion

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Life, Light, Lost, Night, Ocean, Running, Sea, Time, World

Seascape With Sun And Eagle

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Mirror, Ocean, Red, Sun, Sunset

[The Wounded Wilderness of Morris Graves]

Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Baseball Canto

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Epic, Funeral, Hope, Lost, Running, Sun

Oh You Gatherer

Lawrence Ferlinghetti Beach, Fire, Light, Night, Poetry

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