A Coney Island of the Mind

I first read Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem, "Constantly Risking Absurdity" when I was 26 years young. I am now 41 and I still read that poem to remind me that even though my body may be taking on the appearances of getting older, my mind, my spirit, and my soul are just as young as ever. I believe we grow old not because of time, but what we do or don't do with our time. We let our beliefs become rigid, we let our attitudes harden, we forget what it was like to be flexible and youthful and optimistic about life. This book opens the mind. It expands the heart. It flows through the soul like honey and lets the "imprisoned splendor" escape through the cracks of the entire psyche. I would suggest reading this book by candlelight with maybe some Lee Morgan or John Coltrane in the background. It's a book of prayers written by a Beat Priest and every day I thank God that I came across that poem I mentioned earlier in this review it changed my life in a million ways known as well as unknown. If you are looking for something to bring you to a place of youthful vigor, give this book a try. Remember it's never to late to have a great life. Peace & Blessings

Let me start off by saying that, in the run of things, this type poetry is not my favorite. I'm more of a formalist myself, but I couldn't help but be impressed by much of this collection, which, along with Ginsberg's HOWL, kicked off the Beat Movement in American poetry in the 1950's.This is largely a verbal collage, a compendium of memories, impressions, chants, lists, and lyric fragments. The influence of Whitman is apparent in the freeform meditations on the human body and the populist tone of much of the book. This is a cry for people to throw off the constraints of materialism and return to a simpler way of living. It exalts the earth over industry, art over commerce, individualism over uniformity. In other places the shadows of Eliot and Yeats can be seen; indeed in a couple of poems Ferlinghetti freely borrows from those masters - see "The Junkman'Obbligato", for instance, which echoes Eliot's "The Waste Land" with the repeated refrain "Hurry please it's time."The book is divided into three sections. There is the title section then a series of seven pieces (including "Junkman") originally written for musical accompaniment and finally some selections from Ferlinghetti's first book PICTURES OF THE GONE WORLD.Not for all tastes but seminal nevertheless and eye-opening as well.

AAAHHHHH! No one has ever topped Ferlinghetti for his exciting rhythm and electric presentation. Read this collection and discover how much FUN poetry can be. I first discovered these poems in the late '60s, an amazing time to be alive, and I felt that these poems captured some of that spirit uniquely and forever. What I didn't realize was that they also fit in perfectly with the '50s, and later in the '70s, the '80s, and the '90s, as well. And here we are in yet another century and the work holds up better than ever! Whatever you do, READ THEM ALOUD!

This was the first Ferlinghetti I ever got my hands on, and it swept me away into a world from which I have yet to return. The preciseness of his words and the incredible attention to detail make this book well worth the read. It made me fall in love with poetry...and the passion of the heart.

...so begins beat poetry's most enduring classic (37 printings and counting!), an encyclical off-the-cuff fusion of hyperpersonal and universal, timeless themes: art, ethics, lust, and beauty. More in-line with the literary tradition of the English language, Lawrence Ferlinghetti thankfully lacks Ginsberg's heavy-handedness and Kerouac's understated moodiness -- there is something buoyant even in Ferlinghetti's most wrenching laments; we always seem to learn something from him (and if we don't, he's willing to laugh it all away with us). Ferlinghetti's knowledge of art and history (and his ability to tie them into his themes), as well as an unusual matter-of-fact (often in medias res) presentation lends an aura of significance to what could otherwise be random musings. Lawrence is the master...if you don't have this book, it's worth the seven bucks (and its weight in gold).--Justin Laird Weaver