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Philip Whalen

January 19, 2024

Philip Glenn Whalen (October 20, 1923 – June 26, 2002) was an American poet, Zen Buddhist, and a key figure in the San Francisco Renaissance and close to the Beat generation.

Philip Glenn Whalen
TitlePoet
Zen Buddhist
Author
Personal
Born(1923-10-20)October 20, 1923
Portland, Oregon, US
DiedJune 26, 2002(2002-06-26) (aged 78)
San Francisco, California, US
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolSōtō
LineageShunryu Suzuki
EducationReed College

Biography edit

Born in Portland, Oregon, Whalen grew up in The Dalles from age four until he returned to Portland in 1941.[1] He served in the US Army Air Forces during World War II. He attended Reed College on the GI Bill. There, he met Gary Snyder and Lew Welch, and graduated with a BA in 1951. He read at the famous Six Gallery reading in 1955 that marked the launch of the West Coast Beats into the public eye.[2] He appears, in barely fictionalized form, as the character "Warren Coughlin" in Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums, which includes an account of that reading.[3] In Big Sur he is called "Ben Fagan".[3] Whalen's poetry was featured in Donald Allen's anthology The New American Poetry 1945-1960.

Whalen's first interest in Eastern religions centered on Vedanta. Upon release from the army in 1946, he visited the Vedanta Society in Portland, but did not pursue this very far, because of the expense of attending their countryside ashram. Tibetan Buddhism also attracted him, but he found it "unnecessarily complicated." In 1952, Gary Snyder lent him books on Zen by D. T. Suzuki. With Snyder, Whalen attended a study group at the Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist Church in Berkeley.[4] Ultimately, Zen became his chosen path.[5]

Whalen spent 1966 and 1967 in Kyoto, Japan, assisted by a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a job teaching English. There, he practiced zazen daily, and wrote some forty poems and a second novel.[6]

He moved into the San Francisco Zen Center and became a student of Zentatsu Richard Baker in 1972. The following year, he became a monk. He became head monk of Dharma Sangha, in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1984. In 1987, he received transmission from Baker, and in 1991, he returned to San Francisco to lead the Hartford Street Zen Center until ill health forced him to retire.[6]

Poetry edit

  • The Calendar, a Book of Poems. Reed College, thesis (B.A.), Portland, Ore. 1951.
  • Self Portrait from Another Direction. (Broadside), Auerhahn Press, San Francisco 1959.
  • Memoirs of an Interglacial Age. Auerhahn Press, San Francisco 1960.
  • Like I Say. Totem Press/Corinth Books, New York 1960
  • Monday in the Evening, 21:VII:61. Pezzoli, Milan 1964
  • Every Day. Coyote's Journal, Eugene, Oregon 1965
  • Highgrade: Doodles, Poems. Coyote's Journal, San Francisco 1966
  • On Bear's Head. Harcourt, Brace & World/Coyote, New York 1969
  • Scenes of Life at the Capital. Maya, San Francisco 1970
  • Enough Said: Fluctuat Nec Mergitur: Poems 1974-1979. Grey Fox Press, San Francisco 1980.
  • Heavy Breathing: Poems 1967-1980. Grey Fox Press, San Francisco 1983
  • Canoeing up Cabarga Creek: Buddhist Poems 1955-1986. Parallax Press, Berkeley 1996.
  • Overtime: Selected Poems by Philip Whalen. Penguin, New York 1999.
  • The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen. Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, Connecticut 2007.

Both the Collected and Selected Poems were edited by Michael Rothenberg.

Prose edit

  • You Didn't Even Try. Coyote, San Francisco 1967. (novel)
  • Imaginary Speeches for a Brazen Head. Black Sparrow Press, Los Angeles 1972. (novel)
  • Off the Wall: Interviews with Philip Whalen. Donald Allen, editor. Grey Fox Press, Bolinas, California 1978.
  • The Diamond Noodle. Poltroon Press, Berkeley 1980. (memoirs)
  • Winning His Way, or, the Rise of William Johnson: a diverting history for the instruction & improvement of the breed. Free Print Shop, San Francisco, California, 1983.
  • Two Novels. Zephyr Press, Somerville, Mass. 1985.
  • Goof Book (for Jack Kerouac). Big Bridge Press, Guerneville, Calif. 2001. (journal)

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Suiter 2002, pg. 53
  2. ^ Fields 1992, pp. 212
  3. ^ a b "Who's Who: A Guide to Kerouac's Characters". Beatdom. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  4. ^ Fields 1992, pp. 214
  5. ^ Suiter 2002, pp. 68-70
  6. ^ a b Suiter 2002, pg. 251-4

References edit

Further reading edit

  • David Schneider. Crowded by Beauty: The Life and Zen of Poet Philip Whalen. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2015. ISBN 978-0520247468

External links edit

January 19, 2024
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Philip Glenn Whalen October 20 1923 June 26 2002 was an American poet Zen Buddhist and a key figure in the San Francisco Renaissance and close to the Beat generation Philip Glenn WhalenTitlePoetZen BuddhistAuthorPersonalBorn 1923 10 20 October 20 1923Portland Oregon USDiedJune 26 2002 2002 06 26 aged 78 San Francisco California USReligionBuddhismSchoolSōtōLineageShunryu SuzukiEducationReed College Contents 1 Biography 2 Poetry 3 Prose 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksBiography editBorn in Portland Oregon Whalen grew up in The Dalles from age four until he returned to Portland in 1941 1 He served in the US Army Air Forces during World War II He attended Reed College on the GI Bill There he met Gary Snyder and Lew Welch and graduated with a BA in 1951 He read at the famous Six Gallery reading in 1955 that marked the launch of the West Coast Beats into the public eye 2 He appears in barely fictionalized form as the character Warren Coughlin in Jack Kerouac s The Dharma Bums which includes an account of that reading 3 In Big Sur he is called Ben Fagan 3 Whalen s poetry was featured in Donald Allen s anthology The New American Poetry 1945 1960 Whalen s first interest in Eastern religions centered on Vedanta Upon release from the army in 1946 he visited the Vedanta Society in Portland but did not pursue this very far because of the expense of attending their countryside ashram Tibetan Buddhism also attracted him but he found it unnecessarily complicated In 1952 Gary Snyder lent him books on Zen by D T Suzuki With Snyder Whalen attended a study group at the Jōdo Shinshu Buddhist Church in Berkeley 4 Ultimately Zen became his chosen path 5 Whalen spent 1966 and 1967 in Kyoto Japan assisted by a grant from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a job teaching English There he practiced zazen daily and wrote some forty poems and a second novel 6 He moved into the San Francisco Zen Center and became a student of Zentatsu Richard Baker in 1972 The following year he became a monk He became head monk of Dharma Sangha in Santa Fe New Mexico in 1984 In 1987 he received transmission from Baker and in 1991 he returned to San Francisco to lead the Hartford Street Zen Center until ill health forced him to retire 6 Poetry editThe Calendar a Book of Poems Reed College thesis B A Portland Ore 1951 Self Portrait from Another Direction Broadside Auerhahn Press San Francisco 1959 Memoirs of an Interglacial Age Auerhahn Press San Francisco 1960 Like I Say Totem Press Corinth Books New York 1960 Monday in the Evening 21 VII 61 Pezzoli Milan 1964 Every Day Coyote s Journal Eugene Oregon 1965 Highgrade Doodles Poems Coyote s Journal San Francisco 1966 On Bear s Head Harcourt Brace amp World Coyote New York 1969 Scenes of Life at the Capital Maya San Francisco 1970 Enough Said Fluctuat Nec Mergitur Poems 1974 1979 Grey Fox Press San Francisco 1980 Heavy Breathing Poems 1967 1980 Grey Fox Press San Francisco 1983 Canoeing up Cabarga Creek Buddhist Poems 1955 1986 Parallax Press Berkeley 1996 Overtime Selected Poems by Philip Whalen Penguin New York 1999 The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen Wesleyan University Press Middletown Connecticut 2007 Both the Collected and Selected Poems were edited by Michael Rothenberg Prose editYou Didn t Even Try Coyote San Francisco 1967 novel Imaginary Speeches for a Brazen Head Black Sparrow Press Los Angeles 1972 novel Off the Wall Interviews with Philip Whalen Donald Allen editor Grey Fox Press Bolinas California 1978 The Diamond Noodle Poltroon Press Berkeley 1980 memoirs Winning His Way or the Rise of William Johnson a diverting history for the instruction amp improvement of the breed Free Print Shop San Francisco California 1983 Two Novels Zephyr Press Somerville Mass 1985 Goof Book for Jack Kerouac Big Bridge Press Guerneville Calif 2001 journal See also edit nbsp Poetry portalTimeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesNotes edit Suiter 2002 pg 53 Fields 1992 pp 212 a b Who s Who A Guide to Kerouac s Characters Beatdom Retrieved April 15 2015 Fields 1992 pp 214 Suiter 2002 pp 68 70 a b Suiter 2002 pg 251 4References editFields Rick 1992 How the Swans Came to the Lake A Narrative History of Buddhism in America Shambhala Publications p 212 ISBN 0 87773 631 6 Charters Ann ed The Portable Beat Reader Penguin Books New York 1992 ISBN 0 670 83885 3 hc ISBN 0 14 015102 8 pbk Suiter John Poets on the Peaks 2002 Counterpoint ISBN 1 58243 148 5 ISBN 1 58243 294 5 pbk Further reading editDavid Schneider Crowded by Beauty The Life and Zen of Poet Philip Whalen University of California Press Berkeley 2015 ISBN 978 0520247468External links editPhilip Whalen Papers at the Rare Book amp Manuscript Library at Columbia University Whalen homepage at the EPC Tributes and poem Essay on Whalen Whalen chapbook at Big Bridge Whalen s hand drawn fable The Invention of the Letter Guide to the Philip Whalen Papers at The Bancroft Library Transcription of extensive biographical interview with Phillip Whalen by David Meltzer Jacket Magazine Records of Philip Whalen are held by Simon Fraser University s Special Collections and Rare Books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Philip Whalen amp oldid 1152190221, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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