City Lights Books 50th Anniversary Celebration

AMRAM & FLOYD RED CROW
San Francisco 2003

The great composer and musician, David Amram hosted the performances at the evening event celebrating the 50th anniversary of City Lights Books. He did his scat-talk rap about City Lights. I heard his jive/poetry before at the Whitney and the Smithsonian Beat events, which was always topical and to the point and always amazing. In this photograph he is playing with the native American, Floyd Red Crow Westerman.

MICHAEL McCLURE READING HIS WORK AT CITY LIGHTS BOOKS
San Francisco 2003

Michael McClure is reading his Haiku poems at the Amram event, he is very entertaining and gives a great reading.

THE McCLURES & JOHN CASSADY AT CITY LIGHTS BOOKS
San Francisco 2003

Michael and Amy Evans McClure are siting next to John Cassady, Neal's son. John and I had e-mailed each other before but never met. After the Amram event we spoke. He told me I looked too young to have photographed his dad shaving at Ginsberg's. I told him that I am older on the inside.

LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI AT CITY LIGHTS BOOKS
San Francisco 2003

During the Amram event, Lawrence was moved to recite some impromptu poetry from his office/storeroom balcony. The capacity crowd loved it.

HERB GOLD SPEAKING AT CITY LIGHTS BOOKS
San Francisco 2003

At the Amram event I finally got to meet Herb Gold. I have contributed my photographs to a couple of his pieces about the Beats over the years. I sat in a special section reserved for the speakers and asked him who he was, we both knew each other by reputation. He told me that if I got a good shot of him, he would use it on his next book.