Description
Philip Whalen (1923-2002), American poet of the beat generation, authored
Like I
Say,
On Bear's Head, and
The Invention of the Letter, among other works. This
collection contains letters to Whalen from his fellow poets, Robert Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Bernadette Mayer,
Michael McClure, Alice Notley, Gary Snyder, and Anne Waldman.
Background
Philip Whalen (1923-2002) graduated from Reed College in 1951 on the GI Bill after serving in the Army Air
Corps in World War II. It was at Reed that Whalen met and became friends with poets Gary Snyder and Lew Welch.
Several years later, Whalen was one of the poets who read with Snyder and others at the historic Six Gallery
reading in San Francisco on October 13, 1955. Allen Ginsberg first performed his poem, Howl, at the Six Gallery
reading.
Restrictions
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to
publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of
California, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the
copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Availability
Collection is open for research.