COLLECTED POEMS by Stuart Z. Perkoff
p/b 474 pps b/w photo cover
ISBN: 0-943373-48-4 (paper)
Published by:
The National Poetry Foundation
University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469
Book Review
by Joyce Metzger
How does one collect enough nerve to delve into, explore, try to analyze, or even catch a glimpse of the genius of a man, especially one so passionate as Stuart Z. Perkoff?
This was a mystery to Robert Creeley who wrote the June 7,1997 preface to this book published by The National Poetry Foundation in1998, edited, and with an introduction by Gerald T. Perkoff, M.D., Stuart's older brother, who called Stuart, "a classic California poet during, and after the Beat period in Venice, California, from the 1950s on, and as such, his writings deserve attention and collection."
Gerald admits his knowledge of Stuart "is...incomplete and inconsistent." Traveling separate paths, they did grow closer in the latter part of Stuart's life. A sad commentary, but all too common in families with rebel artistic talent!
Stuart believed strongly that his work originated from his poetic muse: The Lady, thus this name evolved into the title for his collection as voices (poems) of the Lady.
It took time to gather, compile, and transform a manuscript pile of paper, to try to fashion-mold all into a coherent book. Readers and fellow poets should be grateful someone expended that effort, the final leap forward after initial excitement furor had faded, for this dedication consisted in hours, weeks, and months of contacts and labor.
This 474-page book has poetry sections from various years -- 1956 through Perkoff's final writings in the 1970s.
From THE SUICIDE ROOM:(1971)
2. EPIGRAM: FOR FRIENDS LEAVING
This black undersoul of terror/(our world) destroys the quick fragile loves. One now shatters...
From KOWBOY POMES (1973
SIX:PIONEER WIVES
The first verse is direct admiration for power of women and the abuse which derives from such power, until;
& now yr land is rotten & yr blood/is thin/yr faces are hard on the/faces of yr breed...
In ZAYEEN (1973 Alphabet) Stuart writes of:
the sound of a dropped/bomb/before it/ hits/the long high shriek/piercing the air/
IN MEM (1973 Alphabet)
Perkoff cleverly links woman, earth, the universe, and everything imaginable as; she is She...
In LOVE IS THE SILENCE: POEMS 1948-1974 (1975)
love is the silence out of which/woman speaks. the female/ country, the grieving country.
LETTER TO JACK HIRSCHMAN:
all men are unhappy/camus sd/& everyone dies.
a street/ all share.
ALL IS QUIET:
They return/to lives which they find/filled/ with hate.
They build...on the stained foam/
of life they've killed.
POEM...
hokusai called himself/'an old man/mad about drawing'
matisse died with a stick/strapped to his stiff/arm/
drawing ten feet away...
This is vivid, colorful and exciting imagery; poems to live with, memorable words given to us, which stick in the mind, to ribs, to our inner bones.
Stuart Perkoff's most poignant and tragically touching poem was penned;
IN MEMORIAM: JANA PERKOFF 1944/1973 PRAYER
Lady, let it be/song, singing softly/in the darkness of my sorrow.
1. how shall i sing you, witch-woman, mysterious essential2. i know you are dead/...i talk to you in my head. i know you hear me4. lost child, magical child/now you sleep...
So tender, so loving, so very very empathetic, and accepting, perhaps intuitively sensing he would soon follow.
Perkoff possessed adamant integrity, a fearless undaunted hope that word-thoughts would outlive the frailty and addictive part of his nature. He spent time in prison, lived factually with his heroin addiction, but spoke often, and eloquently, of what he saw in the world. Charles Olson noticed Stuart Perkoff's genius early, and wrote; that you move me as the clearest speaking of such things i have heard in/this half century of the false forwarding of like cause...
Perkoff saw social despair; then wrote about it clearly, and literally believing poets must live in the world...you can do with what you get.
Perkoff's was a magnificent poetic voice, but unfortunately, one many do not know, have never heard about, or have ignored. This gentle giant roused for a time, then was pushed aside by other, louder, more boisterous entities, who zoomed like comets, and have since, also faded away into the darkness.
I am grateful, that I have met Stuart Z. Perkoff through his poetic voice, his Lady muse, and through Gerald's efforts. I hope other readers who see this review will be curious enough to search for this poet's work which should hold a prominent place on any book seller's poetry shelf.
Peace and light!