Revolutionary Letters (50th Anniversary Edition)

The commanding 50th anniversary edition of beat poet di Prima’s 1971 classic, published with its original cover designed by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, is a time capsule of the 1960s protest movements that remains remarkably relevant to the present moment. The poems guide the reader through the anarchist lifestyle, with prudent tips for protesters: "go to love-ins/ with incense, flowers, food, and a plastic bag/ with a damp cloth in it, for tear gas, wear no jewelry/wear clothes you can move in easily… it will take all of us/ shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down." Her commentary about the threat of environmental collapse reads as especially prescient: "there will not be/ a cadillac/ and a 40,000 dollar home/ for everyone/simply/ the planet will not bear it." Di Prima added to this collection of poems through 2007, and later pieces offer insight into her views on subjects including the war on terror and immigration. Readers will find inspiration in her wisdom and uncompromising passion, and these poems should rightfully find a new audience with younger generations of activists. (Oct.)