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 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 her creative partnership with Allen Ginsberg 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 the political and artistic philosophy that guides her activities as writer, activist, performer, instigator, and Buddhist practitioner. Throughout Bard, Kinetic, Waldman pays homage to friends and collaborators, many of whom are no longer with us, including Amiri Baraka, Lou Reed, John Ashbery, 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.