Also by Louise Landes Levi

SWEET ON MY LIPS
The Love Poems of
Mirabai translated by Louise Landes Levi


GURU PUNK

The Book L
by Louise Landes Levi

Genre: Poetry
Format: Trade Paper
Pub Date: 11/10/2010
Price: US: $ 14.95
ISBN 13: 9781887276559
LCCN: 2010935513
Pages: 104, trim size:, 5.25X8 inches

BUY NOW | EXCERPTS | AUTHOR | INTERVIEW



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 European 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



AUTHOR

Louise Landes Levi —poet & translator, musician & traveler. Born on Manhattan Island, she now lives in Bagnore, GR. Italy & on an island to the East of Caracas, Isla Margarita.

A founding member of Daniel Moor’s Floating Lotus Magic Opera Company. Instrumental recordings: Kinnari, Padma & Kyerang, Music for Meditation & Spoken Art Recordings: Kunst is die Liefde in Elke Daad w. Simon Vinkenoog & Oasis, w. J. Bishop O’Brien.

return to top


NOTES AND INTERVIEW

1. THE BOOK L, LLL's second full length poetry book fr. Cool Grove consists of journal entries, poems, photos & l essay - for the most part written on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, while on retreat w. NN Rimpoche. Recalling predecessors Philip Whalen & Joanne Kyger, it develops themes of impermanence, romance & the dangers of elitism in the (so-called) 3rd. world as its author inwardly explores the relationship between 'community' (skt – *sanga*) & the private communion which is the poet's domain.

2. The title is taken fr. the ground breaking work of Dutch Dadaist, Bert Schierbeck (HET BOEK IK) whose Zen Gardens, published in Amsterdam (& translated into English by Charles McGeehan) in the 1960´s was a seminal introduction of Buddhist thought & practice to the European Avant Guard.

• The Book L, 2006 selections of which are available online at Otoliths, Tin Luster Mobile & unlikelystories.org:

• http://the-otolith.blogspot.com/2006/07/louise-landes-levi-nine-sections-from.html

• http://mtdmagazine.tripod.com/louiselandeslevi.htm

• http//www.ulikelystories.org/levi/0808)

It will be followed, in this generous offering, by excerpts fr. Hotel Gaia, an earlier collection of retreat & other poems, written primarily in Toscana, IT.(1985-1995) & dedicated to poet visive Franco Beltrametti & A Spiritual Autobiography (W.Palm beach – NYC 2000), a short autobiographical essay,


REVIEW

One of the marvels of Louise Landis Levi’s poems is that they exist at all.
She somehow conjures eternity out of ephemera, and seems to breathe out
these poems more than write them. Following the beat of the ever-wandering
seeker-bard and musician-dancer, adhering to her spiritual guide with total
devotion, Louise evokes a Mirabai-like poet, whom she’s translated
gorgeously, with a kind of Ezra Pound’s Cantos (of all things!) scattered
and obscurely referential poetry that may suddenly burst into the most
heart-rending lyricism, as focused as a fossil in amber or a flamingo in
midflight. Arcane, profane and sublime all at once, more in the mode of
Joanne Kyger than Denise Levertov, her fully voiced poems addict you to
their movement from poem to poem as if they were being written before you
in the actual moment of your reading. And these are only a few of their
marvels (just as these are apparently only a few of her thousands of
poems). As with our mutually beloved P. Lamantia, the search for the “touch
of the Marvelous” never ceases, and here lie open to the sky its flowing
results in all their golden glow.


—Abdal-Hayy


MY JOURNALS

My journals travel w. me & are sometimes handwritten & sometimes not. When
the situation is supportive I use my laptop to ‘keep notes’ & to record
important statements, for examples, of others. The classically educated see
my napkins w. Tibetan or Sanskrit or Hebrew calligraphy & say O do not
throw that away. My habit of not throwing away invites the universe to do
so. Countless manuscripts, papers, match boxes, envelopes, discarded. & so
many unsung songs or unscripted poems. But some persist & are rendered in
speech or script.

to read more...