Today we mark the passing of poet and novelist Michael Brownstein, whose influences and affiliations bridged the Beat Generation and the New York School. According to his obituary, Brownstein died unexpectedly on September 18th at the age of 81. It continues:
[H]e moved to New York City in 1965 and quickly became part of the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church. In his poetry and prose, Brownstein drew on shamanic and indigenous healing practices from South America as well as non-Western wisdom and mystic traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. He published numerous collections of poetry, including Behind the Wheel (1967); Highway to the Sky (1969), which won a Frank O'Hara Poetry Award; 3 American Tantrums (1970); Strange Days Ahead (1975); and Oracle Night: A Love Poem (1982); Slipping the Leash (2017); Let's Burn the Flags of All Nations (2018). His novels include Country Cousins (1974), The Touch (1987), and Self-Reliance (1994). His experiences in the anti-globalization movement led him to write the "treatise/poem" World on Fire (2002). Brownstein taught at the University of Colorado, Columbia University, and the Naropa Institute.
We're proud to be able to share a broad selection of audio and video recordings on our Michael Brownstein author page, spanning from the 1979 S Press Tonbandverlag cassette release Brainstorms to a 2018 video of Let's Burn the Flags of All Nations being read in Woodstock, NY. In-between, you'll find a number of readings, an interview conducted by Joanna Harcourt-Smith, the 1979 lecture ""Imagination for Adults," a 1977 appearance on Public Access Poetry, a 1989 reading at the Library of Congress, and the 2006 short film Healing Dick.
We send our condolences to Brownstein's family and fans. Click here to start exploring the artistic legacy of Michael Brownstein.
