^#568 ^Lot 595 Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Recognized as one of the most influential and important poets of the Beat movement. TLS signed “Lawrence F.,” one page, 8.5 x 11, September 27, 1975. Ferlinghetti writes to Stanley Kunitz, Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress, in full: “Thank you very much for inviting me to read poetry at the Library of Congress. It’s been a number of years since the last invitation. However! my alienation from the U. S. government has widened, rather than narrowed, in the interim. And I am less willing than ever to participate in any way (whether it is at the Library or in the National Endowment of the Arts) with a government which conducted such a disgusting war in Vietnam and financed among other duplicates the overthrow of the Allende regime in Chile (thereby in-directly contributing to the death of Pablo Neruda, not to mention others such as Victor Jara)…Under ‘normal circumstances,’ it would have been a pleasure and an honor to be with you this year in Washington. Light, Heat & Love to you personally.” In fine condition. True to form, the Beat poet lashes out at the establishment in this truly desirable—and heatedly raw—response.