Desert Journal

ruth weiss is one of the last living significant poets of the Beat Generation. Born to a Jewish family during the rise of Nazism, she eventually made her way to the United States where she became friends with, and a contemporary of, the likes of Jack Kerouac and many other artists of the 1950s American counter-culture movement of San Francisco (specifically in North Beach). In the 1960s she began spelling her name in lowercase letters in a symbolic protest against “law and order” since in her birthplace of Germany all nouns are capitalized. She continues to perform live in North Beach and at many jazz and poetry festivals around the world. In this age of high-speed information exchange, she still uses her “Loyal Royal” metal typewriter, and lives deep in the Northern California forests of Mendocino County, USA.

From author ruth weiss on writing DESERT JOURNAL: a life of its own — this book DESERT JOURNAL. thought it would be novel to write a novel. do the math. 5 x 4 = 200. so for 40 days do 5 pages. decision. 5 pages non-stop each day whatever surfaces. even if only one word per page. forget characters plot. this is a novel moderne. focus — the internal desert. being a water-sign — most fearful place the desert. need to explore that place. had never been to the actual desert. 1961. begin. it was finished in 1968. 7 years. readings through those years had audience call numbers up to the point of completion. someone would always ask “how do you know this about me?” DESERT JOURNAL has a life of its own. i’m only the instrument. sent manuscript out. no takers. 1975. went to NEW YORK CITY. in out of publishing houses. no takers. back home in SAN FRANCISCO. no mistaking the message. MAGNETIZE THE CALL FOR IT. a week later. phone call from BOSTON. CHARLEY SHIVELY of GOOD GAY POETS press. had heard me at WILD SIDE WEST, a women’s bar in SAN FRANCISCO. i had mentioned looking for a publisher. DESERT JOURNAL came out in 1977. currently i’ve stolen lines from it collaged into new poems — LIGHT WORKS, BYPASS LINZ, SUICIDE DREAMS. 40 days — 7 years. those numbers have far-reaching biblical references. was not aware of that. now, thanks to DAVID BRINKS of TREMBLING PILLOW press in NEW ORLEANS, this book continues as a reprint. on a life of its own.