Tuli Kupferberg
Tuli Kupferberg was a multifaceted counterculture figure born on September 28, 1923, in New York City. He made significant contributions as a poet, cartoonist, publisher, and musician. A graduate of Brooklyn College, Kupferberg pursued further education at several prestigious institutions including Columbia University and the New School for Social Research. In 1958, he founded the magazine "Birth," which, although short-lived, showcased the works of notable Beat generation writers such as Allen Ginsberg. In 1964, he co-founded the satirical rock band The Fugs, where he served as a singer and writer; the band became known for its provocative content and released multiple albums. Beyond music, Kupferberg published various works, including the self-published "Beatniks: Or, The War Against the Beats" and the satirical "1001 Ways to Beat the Draft." His cartoon collection, "Teach Yourself F*," was released in 2000, further showcasing his artistic versatility. As a prominent figure in the counterculture movement, Kupferberg's legacy is marked by his innovative spirit and commitment to expressing dissent through art.
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Subject Terms
Tuli Kupferberg
Poet
- Born: September 28, 1923
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: July 12, 2010
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Tuli Kupferberg, a counterculture poet, cartoonist, publisher, and singer, was born on September 28, 1923, in New York City. Kupferberg attended Brooklyn College, graduating cum laude in 1944. He was a graduate student at the New School for Social Research from 1944 to 1945. He also studied at Columbia University, Queens College of the City University of New York, and Long Island University. Following graduation, Kupferberg held a number of odd jobs, including working as a medical librarian and a medical research editor.
In 1958, he founded the magazine Birth. Although it ran for only three issues, Birth featured the writings of several prominent Beat generation authors, including poet Allen Ginsberg. In 1964, Kupferberg and fellow poet Ed Sanders formed a satirical rock band called The Fugs. Kupferberg was a singer and writer for the group. The Fugs went on to release numerous albums, though none of them found mainstream success. Kupferberg later released two solo albums: No Deposit, No Return, a collection of spoken-word poetry released in 1966, and Tuli and Friends, which came out in 1989.
Kupferberg is also a well-established and published poet and has written a variety of prose works, including Beatniks: Or, The War Against the Beats, which he self-published in 1961, and 1001 Ways to Beat the Draft, a satirical collage published in 1966. A collection of his cartoons, Teach Yourself F*, came out in 2000. Kupferberg was also the editor of numerous collections. A majority of these books were published by Kupferberg himself under the imprint of Birth Press.