THE BOOK L, Louise Landes Levi's second full length poetry book from Cool Grove consists of journal entries, poems, photos & l essay - for the most part written on Isla Margarita, Vermont. while on retreat with Namkhai Norbu Rimpoche. Recalling predecessors Philip Whalen and Joanne Kyger, it develops themes of impermanence, romance and the dangers of elitism in (so called) "third world" as its author inwardly explores the relation between "community" (skt – sanga) and the private communion which is the poet´s or this poet’s domain.
The title is taken from the ground breaking work of Dutch Dadaist, Bert Schierbeck (HET BOEK IK) whose Zen Gardens, published in Amsterdam (and translated into English by Charles McGeehan) in the 1960´s was an early introductions of Buddhist thought and practice to the Avant Guarde.
The Book L is volume one of a trilogy and will be followed by - Hotel Gaia - a collection of retreat & other poems, written primarily in Toscana, IT.(1985-1995) and dedicated to poet visive Franco Beltrametti and finally - A Spiritual Autobiography - (W. Palm beach – NYC 2001), a short autobiographical essay.
ALouise Landis-Levi’s pure intentions, and her uncompromising, heroic effort to realize the true nature of mind, makes her poems a continuous stream of wisdom. — John Giorno
At last, a full-scale collection of LLL’s under-the-radar poetry. An essential gathering of her work. Visionary, musician, translator, L’s work is sui generis, true to her keen & keening mind & deep soul flashes. No recent American poet has so consistently been in the light & shadows, so restless yet so centered. Resistant & resilient in her certainties & questions. Diamond flashes of light in the world & beyond it. I’ve been reading her small books & fascicles & translations for – at last some sense of her work’s range is now available.—David Meltzer
