Gaton recently gave me a chapbook of his from the early 80's, a 6 part anti war poem that uses metaphors as wide ranging as Films by Gehr and the Mountain Meadows Massacre to discuss the Regan administrations various "weekend" conflicts in South and Central America. It is either a harsh condemnation of the American Public's inability to pay attention or a plea for sanity in foreign policy.
The whole book begins with a quote from a book by Harold Lamb "Genghis Kahn: Emperor of All Men"
"He knew now that beyond the ranges of his westerly border existed fertile valleys where snow never fell. Here, also, rivers never froze. Here multitudenous peoples lived in cities more ancient than Karakorum or Yen-king"
It's tone is similar to Robinson Jeffers and has the awareness (maybe not quite the hipness) of Ginsberg. Gaton seems to have a direct line into the CIA's mindset in section I and his comparison of that organization to the Spanish Inquistors is as near a bullseye as one can get.
It's a little dated in terms of content but since it is highly political/topical it must be viewed in this scope and taken as a lesson of what happens when the powers that be to quote Gaton: "wear bloodstained gloves".
It was a limited edition chapbook that was self published and sent overseas to friends abroad. The copy I found was autographed by Gaton "To J- they're never worth it but we love them"
He refused to tell me who "J" was, or why the book was back in his posession, but insisted that I take it.
The whole book begins with a quote from a book by Harold Lamb "Genghis Kahn: Emperor of All Men"
"He knew now that beyond the ranges of his westerly border existed fertile valleys where snow never fell. Here, also, rivers never froze. Here multitudenous peoples lived in cities more ancient than Karakorum or Yen-king"
It's tone is similar to Robinson Jeffers and has the awareness (maybe not quite the hipness) of Ginsberg. Gaton seems to have a direct line into the CIA's mindset in section I and his comparison of that organization to the Spanish Inquistors is as near a bullseye as one can get.
It's a little dated in terms of content but since it is highly political/topical it must be viewed in this scope and taken as a lesson of what happens when the powers that be to quote Gaton: "wear bloodstained gloves".
It was a limited edition chapbook that was self published and sent overseas to friends abroad. The copy I found was autographed by Gaton "To J- they're never worth it but we love them"
He refused to tell me who "J" was, or why the book was back in his posession, but insisted that I take it.
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