A faculty member at Cal State LA for three decades, the poet, whose former Pasadena home is for sale, had early success before his publishing career slowed down.
Poet Henri Coulette achieved literary success early: His first collection, “The War of the Secret Agents” — inspired by a WWII spy ring — was chosen by the Academy of American Poets for its Lamont Poetry Selection, at that time a top honor for a debut author.
These days, few remember the native Southern Californian or his formal, metered work. While Coulette’s papers are held by The Huntington Library, his writing is largely out of print, though his books can be purchased secondhand, his poemsHis name, most recently, arose not for his poetry or educational career, but when his former home in Pasadena, which had once been part of Busch Gardens,“My sense is almost no one knows his work anymore. He really is a poet’s poet.
During his time in New Mexico, Coulette, a lifelong football fan whose older brother played for Notre Dame, got the chance to play for his high school team. The opportunity was short-lived, but its effects were lasting. Young Henri saw the possibilities of literature open up when a librarian mistakenly handed him a racy retelling of “The Three Musketeers” instead of the Alexandre Dumas original he’d requested. “I thought, oh my God, there are actually books about what I’ve been thinking,” Coulette said in a 1982 interview with the poet Harper.
Along with a lifelong interest in movies, Coulette’s time in Hollywood led to one of his best poems, according to poet, translator and former editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books Boris Dralyuk. Coulette talked about McGrath in his 1982 interview with Harper. “I’d been reading poetry all along, and then I tried writing a poem and I showed it to Tom. He said, ‘That’s good, let me see some more.’ Hell, I didn’t have any more. So I started writing more. He was a terribly important influence. A lot of other people were encouraged by him. He was a good teacher,” Coulette said of McGrath, who would be forced out of his job for his political convictions during the McCarthy era.
“We wanted to come home after he got his doctorate instead of moving east, He would have had a much bigger reputation if we had gone east,” says Jackie Coulette. “But we wanted to come home.” As a faculty member, Coulette contributed to “Statement,” hosted a radio show about poetry on KPFK and edited some anthologies. He appeared as an expert witness during a 1962 trial on behalf of a Hollywood bookseller who’d been charged with obscenity for selling a copy of Henry Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer,” a book Coulette called “joyous,” per a newspaper account.
“We had arrived in Copenhagen from Anchorage. We had been at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks for six weeks,” says Jackie Coulette of their time in Denmark. “We were there for a month because we were waiting for checks from the University of Alaska.” “People kind of lost track of him before he died,” says Knighton. “It definitely feels like he had withdrawn from the world.”Despite Coulette’s diminished profile, his small group of admirers continues to see the merit and influence of his work.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Remembering the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as an American refugee in the BalkansMonday marks the third anniversary of the beginning of the COVID pandemic in the United States. On March 13, 2020, the Trump administration declared a nationwide emergency and issued a travel ban to those traveling to the country from the Schengen area of Europe. It was a time of great chaos and…
Consulte Mais informação »
Remembering the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement“Not only was she going to prove you wrong and the entire system wrong, but she wasn’t just doing it for herself.”
Consulte Mais informação »
Remembering Pat Schroeder: She Wrote the Book on Women in PoliticsFirst elected to Congress in 1972, she represented Denver with a fierce intellect, sharp wit...a smiley face.
Consulte Mais informação »
Write these down: the best note-taking apps for your phoneThese note-taking apps will transform your phone into a high-powered detail-remembering machine. Decide which of these is right for you.
Consulte Mais informação »
California standoff between Los Angeles County deputies and shooting suspect ends after more than 2 daysA shooting suspect who barricaded himself inside a home in Valinda, California, and fired upon deputies was found dead Sunday, ending a two-day standoff, officials said.
Consulte Mais informação »
On track: A bullet train from Las Vegas to Los Angeles by 2027Brightline reaches an agreement with rail unions to commence works on the project.
Consulte Mais informação »