I had the good fortune of running into Charles Plymell years ago in Cherry Valley,New York, before I knew who he was . With my good friend (a jazz pianist) who lived up in Ft Plain NY we took a ramble down to Cherry Valley looking for Paul Bley ,the jazz great. Someone ,who turned out to be Charlie Plymell, heard us talking in a cafe ,or bookstore -and introduced himself. We never connected with Paul Bley -but we spent an unforgettable eye opening afternoon with Charlie Plymell who took us back to his house and told us stories about Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, et.al & Kansas . . We had really stumbled onto a relatively unknown Giant of real deal Bohemia & Beatdom whose humane-ness and decency were so profoundly apparent in the courtesy and interest he extended to complete strangers. Beat generosity and hospitality on full display-with no ulterior motive . Shortly after that back in the City , at the Strand I discovered Benzedrine Highway"Hi-Octane Early Work" with the forward by Ginsberg ,which contains "Apocalypse Rose" that Jonah Raskin so powerfully champions. More significant ,I think than the blurbs by Burroughs,and Ferlinghetti , who are, after all, confreres, is Tom Wolfe's blurb that likens Benzedrine Highway to Tropic of Cancer, Naked Lunch & Castle to Castle . So glad that he's now getting the accolades he deserves from no less than J.Raskin -
I had the good fortune of running into Charles Plymell years ago in Cherry Valley,New York, before I knew who he was . With my good friend (a jazz pianist) who lived up in Ft Plain NY we took a ramble down to Cherry Valley looking for Paul Bley ,the jazz great. Someone ,who turned out to be Charlie Plymell, heard us talking in a cafe ,or bookstore -and introduced himself. We never connected with Paul Bley -but we spent an unforgettable eye opening afternoon with Charlie Plymell who took us back to his house and told us stories about Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, et.al & Kansas . . We had really stumbled onto a relatively unknown Giant of real deal Bohemia & Beatdom whose humane-ness and decency were so profoundly apparent in the courtesy and interest he extended to complete strangers. Beat generosity and hospitality on full display-with no ulterior motive . Shortly after that back in the City , at the Strand I discovered Benzedrine Highway"Hi-Octane Early Work" with the forward by Ginsberg ,which contains "Apocalypse Rose" that Jonah Raskin so powerfully champions. More significant ,I think than the blurbs by Burroughs,and Ferlinghetti , who are, after all, confreres, is Tom Wolfe's blurb that likens Benzedrine Highway to Tropic of Cancer, Naked Lunch & Castle to Castle . So glad that he's now getting the accolades he deserves from no less than J.Raskin -
Fabulous anecdote, Dave. What a great encounter!