Joanne Kyger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joanne Kyger
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Joanne Kyger reads from Again: Poems 1989–2000 during a 2004 videotaping for the installation Add-Verse. Photo: Gloria Graham
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| Born | November 19, 1934 Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2017 (aged 82) Bolinas, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poet, Writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Period | 1959–2017 |
| Literary movement | San Francisco Renaissance, Beat Generation, Black Mountain Poets, New York School |
| Notable works |
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Joanne Kyger (November 19, 1934 – March 22, 2017) was an American poet. She wrote over 30 books of poems and stories. Kyger was connected to groups of poets like the San Francisco Renaissance and the Beat Generation.
Even though some people called her a 'Beat poet,' she didn't really see herself as part of any single poetry group. Her work often blended ideas from different styles of poetry. Many people see her as an important link between major poetry movements of the 1900s.
Kyger's early poems were inspired by Charles Olson's idea of "projective verse." This meant letting your breath and natural speech guide how you write a poem. It was less about strict rhymes or grammar. She wanted her poems to sound natural when read aloud.
Her poems often came from writing down her daily thoughts, events, and dreams. Many of her poems are dated, like entries in a journal. They include everything from deep thoughts to notes about the weather. Her poems explored themes like Zen Buddhism, ancient Greek myths, and Native American stories. She also wrote about her travels to Mexico and her daily life in a small coastal town.
Contents
About Joanne Kyger's Life
Early Years and Schooling
Joanne Elizabeth Kyger was born on November 19, 1934, in Vallejo, California. Her father was a Navy captain, and her mother worked for the city. Joanne moved often as a child, living in places like China, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. When she was 14, her family settled in Santa Barbara, California.
Joanne's first poem was published in her school's magazine when she was five. In high school, she helped edit the school newspaper. In 1952, she started college at University of California, Santa Barbara. She studied philosophy and literature there. She also started the school's first literary magazine.
Her teachers introduced her to famous poets like W. B. Yeats and William Carlos Williams. She also learned about philosophers like Wittgenstein and Heidegger. These thinkers made her interested in Zen Buddhism. She left college in 1956, just before finishing her degree.
Poetry in San Francisco
In 1957, Kyger moved to San Francisco. She was 22 years old. There, she met writer Richard Brautigan, who showed her the famous City Lights Bookstore. She became part of the lively poetry scene in the North Beach area.
She met many well-known poets like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Poets Robert Duncan and Jack Spicer became her mentors. She was invited to join their poetry meetings, where she read her own poems.
In 1958, Kyger met Gary Snyder, another poet. They became close and married in 1960. Snyder also introduced her to Philip Whalen, who became a lifelong friend. Kyger's first poem, "Tapestry #3," was published in 1959. She also gave her first public poetry reading that year. During this time, she studied Buddhism at the Sokoji Temple in Japantown.
Journeys to Japan and India
On January 30, 1960, Kyger sailed to Kyoto, Japan, to join Gary Snyder. They got married in Japan. While living there, Kyger wrote poems and studied Buddhism. She also learned flower arranging and acted in some Japanese movies.
In December 1961, Kyger and Snyder traveled to India with Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky. They even met the Dalai Lama in March 1962. After India, they continued their travels to Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
During these trips, Kyger kept detailed diaries. These were published in 1981 as The Japan and India Journals 1960–1964. This book is important because it shares a rare female view of the Beat era. It shows her journey as a woman artist finding her own voice.
Early Career Successes
In January 1964, Kyger returned to San Francisco alone. Her marriage to Snyder had ended. She then met and married painter Jack Boyce in 1965. That same year, she attended the Berkeley Poetry Conference. There she met poets Charles Olson and Ted Berrigan.
Her first book of poems, The Tapestry and the Web, was published in 1965. It included drawings by Jack Boyce. The next year, Kyger and Boyce lived in New York City for a year. She became friends with poets like Anne Waldman. She also connected with poets from the New York School.
In 1967, Kyger worked on a video project in San Francisco. She created a poem-video called "Descartes and the Splendor of." It was shown in November 1968.
Life in Bolinas
At the end of the 1960s, Kyger moved to the small coastal town of Bolinas, California. She settled there with Jack Boyce in 1969. The community and natural beauty of Bolinas became a big part of her poetry. Many other poets and artists also lived there.
In 1970, she separated from Jack Boyce. The next year, she bought a house in Bolinas. She traveled to Puerto Rico to study monkeys and began studying dreams. This led to her book Desecheo Notebook. Her book All This Every Day was published in 1975.
In the mid-1970s, she started teaching poetry. She taught at the New College of California and Naropa University. At Naropa, she met Donald Guravich, a writer and artist. He became her lifelong partner. They married in 2013 and lived in Bolinas until her death.
Travels to Mexico
From the mid-1980s for almost 30 years, Kyger and Guravich often traveled to Mexico. They visited places like Oaxaca and Chiapas. These trips inspired many of Kyger's poems.
Later Life and Passing
Kyger became an editor for the Bolinas Hearsay News in 1984. She held this job for over 20 years. She also continued teaching writing classes.
In 2000, her journal writings were reissued as Strange Big Moon: Japan and India Journals, 1960–1964. Later poetry books include Again: Poems 1989–2000 and As Ever: Selected Poems. In 2006, she received an award for artists. Her book About Now: Collected Poems won the PEN Oakland Josephine Miles National Literary Award for Poetry in 2008.
Buddhism Without A Book
Well, you had to find it some
where another person passed simplicity
on to you, the practice of some syllables
the position of a seated body and you believe
a lineage of recognition of 'mind'
not perfect, but intimate
with suffering
and the futility of maintaining
those troublesome states
of fear and hate
"Try this
Lift the corners of your mouth slightly
and take three breaths
this is known as mouth yoga" ( * Yvonne Rand)
It has nothing to do with smiling
It has nothing to do with happiness
MARCH 7, 2003
Joanne Kyger was a student of Zen Buddhism. She believed in a simpler, calmer way of life. She encouraged others to find peace in their minds and bodies. Zen meditation is about living in the present moment. Kyger embraced this lifestyle, and it showed in her poems.
In "Buddhism Without A Book," she suggests that Buddhism is a way of being. It's not just a religion with strict rules. She writes that "another person passed simplicity on to you." This means it's a lifestyle to share, helping those with "fear and hate." She tells readers that it's "not perfect, but intimate." You don't need to do all the right yoga poses. All you need is your "mind." She wanted to help people let go of "troublesome states." She believed this way of life could help in a world filled with problems.
Kyger passed away at age 82 on March 22, 2017. She died at her home in Bolinas, California, from lung cancer. Her husband, Donald Guravich, was with her. Her last book, There You Are: Interviews, Journals, and Ephemera, was published after her death.
See also
In Spanish: Joanne Kyger para niños
