Stephen Ronan: By the time of Ted's visits to City Lights I had attended at least one of his readings. Usually he would read at Cody's Books in Berkeley. I remember good turn-outs and a general delight with Ted's charismatic renditions of his poems of profundity and humor. He always seemed borne up by everyone's appreciation. He was singular in many ways not the least … [Read more...]

John Bibby: I met Ted twice - in Timbuktu (1966) and in Algiers (1969). I remember his immortal first words - "Haben Sie Sardinen?" (I was wearing Lederhosen - he assumed I was German - and he was on the edge of the Sahara pining for sardines!) We spent much of the next week together on the top of a lorry trying to get to Niamey - I must admit, I found a week with … [Read more...]

John Bibby: I met Ted twice - in Timbuktu (1966) and in Algiers (1969). I remember his immortal first words - "Haben Sie Sardinen?" (I was wearing Lederhosen - he assumed I was German - and he was on the edge of the Sahara pining for sardines!) We spent much of the next week together on the top of a lorry trying to get to Niamey - I must admit, I found a week with … [Read more...]

Dudley Merchant: I met up with Ted Joans in June of 1978 in Paris. He was great to read with and we had two readings together and a few more parties. Ted is alive as I think of him often. He was really against the French learning to rent their cars, car leases, and the debts of the ordinary citizen. I last saw Ted at a barge party on the Seine in August of 1978, before I … [Read more...]

Jim Haynes: Ted Joans and I have been close friends and associates since our first meeting in Edinburgh in 1960. He stayed in my home in Edinburgh, later in London and often in Paris. I launched my kitchen-table publishing house, Handshake Editions, to publish a small collection of his poetry, Duck Butter Poems, to coincide with a reading at UNESCO in the early 80s. … [Read more...]