Today we pass on the sad news that Kenward Elmslie — a prolific author, editor, librettist, performer, and a member of the New York School's second generation — passed away yesterday at the age of 93.
A skilled poet and prose writer, Elmslie was also a natural-born collaborator, with many of his books being integrated with visual art, most often his long-term partner, Joe Brainard. His collaborative spirit also lead him into the world of theater, where he wrote lyrics to operas, musicals, and songs, including "Love Wise," recorded by Nat King Cole in 1958. As publisher of Z Press and editor of its magazine — which charmingly, instead of being numbered, simply added a Z to its title (it ran from Z to ZZZZZZ) — Elmslie celebrated the work of his New York School peers and made early connections to Language poetry.
On PennSound's Kenward Elmslie author page you'll find a wide array of recordings going back to at least 1974 (there are also five undated recordings, at least some of which seem likely to have been recorded in the late 1960s), including numerous readings from the St. Mark's Poetry Project. One real treat among the archives are a pair of performances with musical accompaniment by guitarist Steven Taylor (who also famously worked with Allen Ginsberg across several decades) at St. Mark's in 1984 and at the Naropa Institute in 1991. Another highlight is "Snippets: A Gathering of Songs, Visual Collaborations, and Poems," a special event held at our own Kelly Writers House in 2003. You can listen to all of these recordings and more by clicking here.
We send our sincere condolences to Elmslie's family and friends, along with his many fans across multiple artistic realms.
