Berkson - Since When

Table of Contents

My husband, Bill Berkson, would often say, I have to get back to my memoir, which he had been working on for several years. A more pressing deadline would interrupt the memoir writing, but he would always return to it. When he died suddenly on June 16, 2016, he left behind this all-but-completed manuscript and was in the process of editing it with Coffee House Press. I am grateful to Chris Fischbach, publisher of Coffee House Press, associate editor Lizzie Davis, and production editor Carla Valadez for working with me and Bills son, Moses Berkson, to put the finishing touches on this memoir. Mac McGinnes and Nina Lewallen Hufford helped me with final edits, and Moses worked from Bills notes to organize the photographic images. I also wish to thank Holland Cotter for his wonderful introduction. I know Bill would have been pleased.

Constance Lewallen, 2018

Connie and Bill, 1994

Acknowledgments

Versions of some of these pieces first appeared in Art Journal, The Hall of Fame Hall of Fame, Adventures in Poetry, Sal Mimeo, ZYZZYVA, Modern Painters, Best Minds: A Tribute to Allen Ginsberg, Nice to See You: Homage to Ted Berrigan, That Various Field for James Schuyler, Continuous Flame: A Tribute to Philip Whalen, Dorado, A Painter and His Poets: The Art of George Schneeman, Ted Berrigan, Perpetual Motion: Michael Goldberg, Whats Your Idea of a Good Time? (with Bernadette Mayer), Harriet: The Blog (Poetry Foundation), Philip Guston: Drawings for Poets, Big Bridge, the Battersea Review, Artforum, 1st of the Month, AMERARCANA, the Delineator, Trinity Per Saecula.

The original version of the autobiographical essay Since When was commissioned by the Gale Group and first appeared in Contemporary Authors, volume 180 (Gale Research Company, 2000).

Some of John Wieners first appeared as Afterword in A New Book from Rome by John Wieners (Bootstrap Press, 2010).

Another version of Variations on a Theme (Warfare) appeared as the foreword to Anne Waldman and Noah Saterstroms book, Soldatesque / Soldiering: With Dreams of Wartime.

Thanks to the following editors and publishers: Peter Anderson, Lisa Berman, Bill Corbett, Steve Dickison, James Dunn, Larry Fagin, Derek Fenner, Lyn Hejinian, Howard Junker, Ben Mazer, David Meltzer, Bill Morgan, Prudence Peiffer, Kevin Ramsay, Bob Rosenthal, Michael Rothenberg, Anne Waldman, Nicholas Whittington, Suzi Winson, and Karen Wright.

More thanks to Lewis Warsh, Tom Clark, Duncan McNaughton, Joanne Kyger, and, as ever, to Connie Lewallen.

Special thanks to Chris Fishbach at Coffee House Press for making this book as real as possible. And in fond memory, to Allan Kornblum.

Coffee House Press began as a small letterpress operation in 1972 and has grown into an internationally renowned nonprofit publisher of literary fiction, essay, poetry, and other work that doesnt fit neatly into genre categories.

Coffee House is both a publisher and an arts organization. Through our Books in Action program and publications, weve become interdisciplinary collaborators and incubators for new work and audience experiences. Our vision for the future is one where a publisher is a catalyst and connector.

Funder Acknowledgments

Coffee House Press is an internationally renowned independent book publisher and arts nonprofit based in Minneapolis, MN; through its literary publications and Books in Action program, Coffee House acts as a catalyst and connectorbetween authors and readers, ideas and resources, creativity and community, inspiration and action.

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The writing of history is a method of getting rid of it.