"This Beat Thing Is A Problem"

 

Michael Rothenberg and David Meltzer. Photo by T. Renner. 

The editor Michael Rothenberg and the poet David Meltzer gave a rambling but entertaining presentation called "The Beat Thing and Unhurried Visions: Encounters with the Beat Generation" at the University of Missouri as part of the Center for Humanities Monday Noon Series yesterday afternoon.

The highlight of the presentation was the way that Rothenberg and Meltzer moved from a discussion of television's Maynard G. Krebs -- a character created to diminish the dissent of the Beats -- to a discussion of Sarah Palin.

Rothenberg and Meltzer also appeared Monday evening at the River Styx at Duff's Reading Series, 392 North Euclid, in the Central West End. Meltzer's most recent book is David's Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer, edited by Rothenberg.