Comments on: Reading Rexroth in Rome

By: Steven Fama

Steven Fama — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:58:09 +0000

KR shows an appalling anti-gay mind-set in the book too. Between that, the sexism, and his (presumed) confabulating, “The Dragon and the Unicorn” can be a very uncomfortable read.
And yet . . . the poem/book is entertaining, sharp, and addictive. And while I understand skipping over the philosophical sections (I’ve done that too, on some read-throughs), I think those sections are an important part of the book. The philosophical lines are well-thought, and contrast nicely with the travelogue parts of the poem. I think the book would be too light and fluffy with just the travel / observation sections.
FYI, KR has other poems about Italy and France, arising from other trips to those countries, in other books, including in “Natural Numbers.”
Also, some of the sections near the end of “The Dragon and the Unicorn” are set here in California, including at KR’s “retreat” at Devil’s Gulch in what is now Samuel P. Taylor park in Marin County. Those sections include some of KR’s finest poem-writing.
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By: Ken Knabb

Ken Knabb — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:14:27 +0000

You can find extensive online excerpts of “The Dragon and the Unicorn” at http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth/poems/1940s.dragon.htm . The same website has lots of other Rexroth poems, essays, translations, etc. Enjoy!
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By: Henry Gould

Henry Gould — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:19:10 +0000

This reminds me so much of my recent stay in Kuala Lumpur. I know, it sounds unbelievable… but the coincidences are striking, to say the least. We (Arainna & I – luckily Jose stayed home with the kids) found a very inexpensive but tres chic condo (sublet) overlooking the KL Bird Sanctuary – way up above the heat line – for only $900./mo. Can you top that? Somewhere Maugham/Burgess/Rexroth writes about this – the cheap wine, the Indonesian KopaKopa dancers, the inexplicable cousocus – I think it’s in The CooBee Chronicles(? Ring a bell? was reading it straight through in Siena last Oct.) – and then the monsoon season started, and Brent ran out of cash (the trust fun turned out to be a bust fund!!!!!!!!!!) -
to be cont. -
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By: John

John — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:18:46 +0000

I’ll have to read “Dragon and the Unicorn”; haven’t attempted anything longer than “The Phoenix and the Tortoise” with him. You’ve caught his brilliance, as well as his intensely off-putting sexism. I like his metaphysical speculations. He is sincere about them, and attractive, though he seems unself-aware about how his speculations put his irascability in a bad light, sometimes unconsciously hilariously so. (His essay on Buber praises Buber for his generosity of spirit, his profound reach for connection and understanding, and then on the very next page Rexroth drops a rhetorical bomb on someone he considers not-worth-connecting-with, never-will-be-worth-connecting-with, irredeemably beyond hope; and then it’s back to praising Buber’s hope and well-meaningness.)
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