Stand Up Friend With Me

After hearing Edward Field at a 1969 poetry reading, I bought Stand Up Friend, With Me. I was amazed by his quirky insights into mundane matters -- body hair, graffiti, animals, etc. They were so accessible, so seemingly effortless, so magical, and rereading only made them better. I found myself compelled to share them with others, buying several copies and giving them away. Both my literary and non-literary friends reacted instinstively and enthusiastically to them. It is an endearing collection of poems that will remain forever in your heart.

Edward Field is arguably the most underappreciated beat poet. Each of his poems is carefully crafted and slyly intelligent, but unassuming and accessible. I was not overwhelmed by this poetry upon first reading, the way that reading Ginsberg can be mentally exhausting. But I was drawn back to it time after time, and each poem maintains its significance over time. This book does not age, but will quietly walk into the life of a reader of any generation. Field had a nimble understanding of the relationship between emotional and physical life, and in this modest first work, he demonstrates an ability to communicate that understanding to readers with unsurpassed skill.