In the late 50s and 60s poetry changed dramatically, moving toward language that was looser, less formal, more open to politics and city life, sex and popular culture… more communal. Many of those changes took root in New York City’s East Village.
Passing Stranger is an audio walking tour through the East Village that guides you to various locations that were frequented by American poets and writers from the Beat Generation. The Tour is narrated by Jim Jarmusch.
THE EAST VILLAGE POETRY WALK
It was an audio tour with the richness and density of a documentary. There were full of characters, sounds, and memories. It was not a straight chronological narrative but is rather a montage of poetry, commentary and archival recordings.
The most surprising thing was the audio transports you to the 50’s, make you feel like you were there. It was like a time travel… It feels like stepping into a different time while at the same time seeing the modern world around you. However hearing ghosts which doesn’t live anymore feels like a little creepy, the beauty of it was that you can experience the environment of the previous generations first hand.
Even tough East Village has changed cover years, (The historical stories of some places which is now filled with stores and fancy restaurants) you can still tell how it is deeply influenced by activism. You could feel the movement effect until this day, the spirit is very much alive on the streets.
I got a good sense about how the life and work of many poets combined with the richness of this textured area have been an important influence in the development of the American poetry.
St. Brigit’s Roman Catholic Church - Collaborations Berkson O'Hara
Tompkins Square Park
101 St Marks Alice Notley
Anne Waldman Lewis Warsh Angel Hair
Cooper Square
This activity made think of the expanded role of a sound. After this walk, I understand better how sound could enhance an experience and making it more vivid and deep.
I had stepped into a landscape of sound that only I knew of, I had opened a time capsule and was swimming in words of passion, anger, conflict and joy.
Link to Passing Stranger: https://eastvillagepoetrywalk.org/