 Two examples. The first comes from a letter written by Edward F. Ricketts to Don Emblem dated 3 November 1943. Ricketts was a marine biologist who developed into something of a philosophe. He is best known for his friendship and work with John Steinbeck. At the time, Ricketts was living in the Monterey area, where he was also friendly with Henry Miller and Joseph Campbell. Emblem was a poet.
Ricketts wrote, “Your speaking of Henry Miller reminds me to say that Janko met him down there, and Miller speaks of coming on here again. I think he is a good man. Charles Fort makes my tired ache, although I realize I am one of a minority. Many people whose minds I respect admire him: Janko; at one time John; Toni. Most of the writers whose work appears not to be circumscribed by form are those who have got to use it as familiarly as a person uses his senses.” The context of the reference to Fort is not exactly clear; Emblem’s article, as far as I know, has not survived. But it seems fair to say that Emblem probably brought up the subject of Fort. The important point here is to note that in early 1940s, Fort was well-known among the Monterey-area Bohemians. In particular, Ricketts specifically references Janko—Jean Varda, a Greek painter who had been in the U.S. Since 1939. Janko and Henry Miller (another Fortean) were good friends. (At the time of the letter, though, Miller was in southern California.) Add Comment The Godfather: Kenneth Rexroth 01/27/2011
 The Godfather: Kenneth Rexroth
Little remembered today, Kenneth Rexroth was a major influence on the art world through the middle of the twentieth century, especially in San Francisco. In a fittingly Fortean way, he both recurs throughout the history of Forteanism and is peripheral to the subject. He never wrote directly about Forteanism, and his work shows no influence from Fort. But, it is impossible to write about the development of Forteanism without referencing him. Rexroth was born in South Bend Indiana in 1905. He was raised in a family that had extensive ties to socialism and had been involved in abolitionist movements, including working on the Underground Railroad. These would have significant effects on Rexroth throughout his life. His father, Charles Rexroth, had originally intended to become a doctor, but never finished his schooling and instead feel into pharmaceutical sales. If socialism was one influence on Rexroth, then his father’s alcoholism and philandering was another, causing drastic shifts in the family’s fortune—from mansions to shared rooms—and putting the boy into untenable situations, as when the young Rexroth was forced to live with his paternal grandmother, who was senile and beat him mercilessly for no reason. (Rexroth would, in turn, become abusive.) Kenneth was close to his mother, Delia, but she had many illnesses and eventually died in 1916, when he was about eleven. (His father died two years later.) Insight 01/15/2011
| AuthorI am a father, husband, and independent scholar living in Folsom California. I can be reached at joshuabbuhs_at_yahoo_dot_com.  ArchivesDecember 2011 CategoriesAll |
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