d. a. levy, Papers, 1961-1968

Inventory

Prepared by Dyani Scheuerman, February 19, 2003
1 document case, 1 oversize folder, .33 cubic feet, 11th floor

 

Biographical Note

d. a. levy was born in Cleveland in 1942 and lived there until he committed suicide in 1968. Along with T. L. Kryss, D. R. Wagner, rjs [Robert J. Sigmund], and several other area writers, he was a member of the "Underground Thought Patrol," a close-knit group who rebeled against "the establishment" and pushed for revolution through poetry. levy published several underground newspapers and series of chapbooks, like The Buddhist Third Class Junkmail Oracle and the Polluted Lake series. He was arrested, many thought unfairly, for obscenity charges, and took his own life in November of 1968.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of works by and associated with levy. Manuscripts and drafts of manuscripts, letters, artwork, newsclips, and several miscellaneous items are included. See collections of T. L. Kryss and rjs for further related items. The Department of Special Collections and Archives also housed many published works of levy and his circle, all of which are cataloged in KentLINK. Most of the material in this collection has been purchased over a number of years.

Box 1

Folder -- Contents
  1. Announcement of levy's death from Cleveland poets. November 24, 1968.
  2. Announcement of poetry reading at Kent State University featuring levy's work. November 27, 1968.
  3. Berefjord, Per. H. Proof for "d.a." from d.a. levy, a tribute to the man. [no date]
  4. Blazek, Douglas. Proof for intro to "Rectal Eye Visions," May 29, 1966.
  5. Catalog: Titles from Ground Zero, 1974. [Mimeograph sheet with mistakes.]
  6. Collage, [no date]
  7. Collage, [no date]
  8. Collage, [no date]
  9. Collage, [no date]
  10. Collage, [no date]
  11. Collage, [no date]
  12. Collage, [no date]
  13. Collage, [no date]
  14. Collage, [no date]
  15. Collage [photocopy], [no date]
  16. Collage: "Boom." [photographic reproduction] [no date]
  17. Flyer: The Hart Crane, Langston Hughes, d.a. levy All-Night Memorial Poetry Fest. June 9, 1978.
  18. Flyer: "days of rain & fire: d.a. levy 20 years after." Festival at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. October 7-9, 1988.
  19. Flyer: If I Scratch, I Write, film about levy [no date]
  20. Fliers: "25 Cents for levy's Defense," Feb. 1967.
  21. Letter to Richard Allen Morris, Apr. 16, 1961.
  22. Letter to Richard Allen Morris, Apr. 1965.
  23. Letter to Richard Allen Morris, May 1, 1966.
  24. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Jun. 20, 1966.
  25. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Jul. 21, 1966.
  26. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Sep. 1, 1966.
  27. Letter (?) from D.R. Wagner, "The Tibetan Notes," Sep. 7, 1966.
  28. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Sep. 7, 1966.
  29. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Oct. 3, 1966.
  30. Letter from D.R. Wagner to levy, Dec. 11, 1966.
  31. Letter to levy from Cleveland Peace Action Council, Oct. 25, 1968.
  32. Letter to Robert Kelly, [no date]
  33. Letter to Richard Allen Morris, [no date]
  34. Letter to Richard Allen Morris, [no date]
  35. Letter to D.R. Wagner, [no date]
  36. Letter to unknown, [no date]
  37. Letter beginning "basically an open letter to anyone and everyone who's been asking wat we're doing ... " from Captain Zero and General Gap, ground zero associates, [no date]
  38. Manuscript: "world war III," Mar. 23, 1961.
  39. Manuscript: "granny," Oct. 11, 1961.
  40. Manuscript: "Temptation," Nov. 18, 1961.
  41. Manuscript: "cleveland undercovers," 1964-65.
  42. Manuscript: "The North American Book of the Dead, Parts I & II," 1965.
  43. Manuscript: "Concrete" poem, Jul. 14, 1966.
  44. Manuscript: "Beret: a concrete poem for the war monuments of the world," 1966.
  45. Manuscript: "Brotherhood of Bhang," 1966.
  46. Manuscript: "The Egyptian Stroboscope," 1966.
  47. Manuscript: "Litany of the Green Lion," 1966.
  48. Manuscript: "Ohio Turnpike," 1966.
  49. Manuscipt: "Cloud in the Form of a Swastika," 1966-67.
  50. Manuscript: "The Subreal nark dream," Nov., 1967.
  51. Manuscript: "a dream of the dream-trial inquisition," Dec., 1967.
  52. Manuscript: "cleveland uber alles," 1967.
  53. Manuscript: "Kibbutz in the Sky / Book II," 1967.
  54. Manuscript: "One Death in the Life of Julie," 1967.
  55. Manuscript: "Spirit Process, [no date] Photocopy; the original is owned by Laura Davis-Clapper.
  56. Marrahuannah Newsletter #1.
  57. Newsclippings.
  58. The Newsletter on the State of the Culture. Includes note about levy's death. December 16, 1968.
  59. Painting: "The Golden Horn," 1961.
  60. Painting: "Mobile," [no date]
  61. Pamphlet: With newsclipping from The Cleveland Pot, April 1, 1966 pasted on front. Contains information on hallucinogenic drugs, an advertisement for subscriptions to Inner Space, and information about recordings available from Takoma Records.
  62. Pamphlet: "Notes on the Suicide of America" by Hassan Sabbah II. Akron, 1966.
  63. Pamphlet: Regarding the conflict between police and Cleveland poets. Includes list of "obscene" publications, article titled "Grand Jury Named Beatnik Poet in Secret Indictment on Filth" from the Cleveland Press, and a poem by Joe Brainard called "People of the World: Relax!" 1967.
  64. Pamphlet: Regarding rjs's jail sentence. Includes biographical and contact information on rjs, information on marijuana, and a poem entitled "what can i say?" all written or compiled by levy. [no date]
  65. Paper: "The Evolution of Comparative Literature" by levy. 1968.
  66. Photograph of levy, 1966.
  67. Poem: "Coming Forth By Day," 7 Flowers Press, Cleveland, 1966. [author unknown]
  68. Poem: "what can i say?" by levy from Dare.
  69. Poems and essays supporting levy by E.R. Baxter III, Bill Bissett, Richard Morris, etc., 1967.
  70. Proof for The Buddhist Third Class Junkmail Oracle, V. 1 #11.
  71. Woodblocks [used for publication?], [no date]
  72. Miscellaneous
  73. levyfest Program: "d. a. levy and Cleveland's 1960s Literary and Cultural Scene (The Mimeograph Revolution)," Program and flyer from Bottom Dog Press, October 29-30, 2005.
  74. "d.a. levy & the Cleveland Mimeograph Revolution. Two Programs: d.a. levy: Cleveland Rebel Poet, Interview with Ed Sanders & Remembering d.a. levy: A Reading from levyfest 2005." DVD. Huron, OH: Bottom Dog Press, [2005].