The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry

The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, edited by Alan Kaufman is an anthology of American underground poets spanning the post-war era to the present day. First published in 1999, the collection features work from several notable poets, including Jack Micheline, Patti Smith, Harold Norse, David Trinidad, Tuli Kupferberg, D.A. Levy, Bob Kaufman, Jim Chandler, Jim Brodey, Daniel Higgs, Jack Kerouac, Bonny Finberg, David Lerner, Richard Brautigan, Allen Ginsberg, Tom Waits, William S. Burroughs, Ken Kesey, Justin Chin and Diane DiPrima, among others. S.A. Griffin served as a contributing editor.

'Outlaw poets'

"Outlaw poets" is a term of endearment used in reference to poets whose work is featured in the Outlaw Bible. The following (incomplete) list of traits is characteristic of such poets:

• anti-authoritarian personality;
• anti-Vietnam war activists known for their anti-war rhymes (many poets write about Vietnam who are by no means outlaw poets).
• Elder poets that gained notoriety via unconventional forms
• Poets deliberately not included in most academic curriculums^[1]
• Often inspirational to or inspired by the so-called "Beat" movement in American poetry during the mid-20th century^[2]

References

1. Kaufman, Alan (1999). The Outlaw Bible of American Poety. Emeryville: Thunder's Mouth Press. p. xxv. ISBN 1560252367.
2. Kaufman, Alan (1999). The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry. Emeryville CA: Thunder's Mouth Press. p. vi-viii. ISBN 1560252367.

External links

• An Outlaw Poet Manifesto
• "Outlaw" poets hog the mike article on subject at Salon.com