
For 50 years, the “mean old daddy” immortalized in one of Mitchell’s best-loved songs has been an enigma. Now he tells his side of the story. (The New Statesman)

For 50 years, the “mean old daddy” immortalized in one of Mitchell’s best-loved songs has been an enigma. Now he tells his side of the story. (The New Statesman)

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open.”
— Martha Graham

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a poet, publisher and political iconoclast who inspired and nurtured generations of San Francisco artists and writers from City Lights, his famed bookstore, died on Monday at his home in San Francisco. He was 101. (NewYork Times)