John Wieners
John Wieners was a prominent Beat generation poet born in 1934 near Boston, Massachusetts. He studied English at Boston College before becoming involved in poetry circles at Harvard's Lamont Library. His literary journey took a significant turn when he enrolled at Black Mountain College in 1955, where he was influenced by various artists of the time, including Robert Creeley and Joseph Albers. After returning to Boston, he founded the controversial literary magazine Measure and eventually relocated to San Francisco, where he mingled with other notable Beat figures like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Wieners published his first poetry collection, *The Hotel Wentley Poems*, in 1958, which became a cult classic within the Beat movement. By the mid-1960s, he was teaching at New York State University and producing numerous poetry collections and plays. His life took a difficult turn in 1969 when he was institutionalized for mental illness, during which he wrote *Asylum Poems* and *Nerves*. After his treatment, Wieners returned to Boston, where he devoted himself to teaching and activism, particularly in the gay liberation movement. He passed away in 2002 at the age of sixty-eight, leaving behind a legacy as a significant voice in American poetry.
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John Wieners
Poet
- Born: January 6, 1934
- Birthplace: Near Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: March 1, 2002
- Place of death: Boston, Massachusetts
Biography
John Wieners, a Beat generation poet, was born outside of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1934, the son of Albert Eugene and Anna Elizabeth Laffan Wieners. He received his early education in public schools. In 1954, he earned a degree in English from Boston College.
After graduation, Wieners worked at Harvard University’s Lamont Library. During this time, he acted in campus productions and became involved in poetry circles. While attending a poetry reading by Charles Olson, Wiener received promotional material for Black Mountain College, an experimental liberal arts college located in a secluded area of the North Carolinamountains. In 1955, Wieners enrolled at Black Mountain College, where he studied with numerous Beat culture artists, including the poet Robert Greeley and the painter Joseph Albers. Influenced by his instructors, Wieners began writing poetry.
Wieners remained at Black Mountain College for a year before returning to Boston. In Boston, Weiners returned to his job at Lamont Library and founded a literary magazine, Measure. The magazine featured the works of poets affiliated with Black Mountain College and was controversial in its content. Not long after the first issue of Measure was published, Wieners was fired from his job at Lamont Library.
After losing his job, Wieners moved to San Francisco. In 1957, he joined up with other literary figures of the Beat movement, including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Kirby Doyle, and Michael McClure. Wieners participated in weekly poetry readings and worked as a cleaner at the Coffee Gallery, a favorite Beat hangout. In 1958, after a year in San Francisco, Wieners published his first collection of poems, The Hotel Wentley Poems. These poems were written while Wieners lived at the Hotel Wentley, a flop house in San Francisco’s red-light district. The Hotel Wentley Poems became a classic cult collection of the Beat generation.
By the mid 1960’s, Wieners reached the pinnacle of his career. With several successful publications to his credit, Wieners moved to Buffalo, New York, where he taught at New York State University. During his time at the university, Wieners produced several more poetry collections and numerous plays which were performed on New York stages. Wieners remained in New York until 1969, when he was briefly institutionalized for mental illness. While in the asylum, he composed two poetry collections, Asylum Poems (1969) and Nerves (1970).
In 1970, after completing his treatment, Wieners returned to Boston, where he eventually became a teacher at Beacon Hill Free School. He devoted the remainder of his years to teaching and working on various political action committees, including the movement for gay liberation. In 2002, Wieners died in Boston at the age of sixty-eight.