Scenes of Life at the Capital

About Philip Whalen

Philip Whalen (19232002) was a central figure of the San Francisco Renaissance and Beat movements. One of the readers at the historic Six Gallery reading he was the author of numerous books of poetry and prose. A longtime practicing Buddhist he was eventually ordained as a Zen monk and practiced at Zen Centers in New Mexico and San Francisco until his passing in 2002. David Brazil is a poet pastor and translator. His third book of poetry Holy Ghost (City Lights 2017) was nominated for a California Book Award. With Kevin Killian he co-edited The Kenning Anthology of Poets Theater 1945-1985. With China Okoye he was the founding curator of the Berkeley Art Museum's Black Life series focusing on cultural production in the African diaspora. He has presented his work at Cambridge University Johns Hopkins and San Francisco State University among other venues. He lives in New Orleans.