Philip Whalen

b. October 20, 1923 in Portland, Oregon -- d. June 26, 2002 in San Francisco, California

grew up in the Dalles, on the Columbia River

military service: US Army Air Corps, 1943-46 - taught radio operation and maintenance

after the War, planned to study Asian languages at the University of California, but was soon broke and forced to return to Portland, where he began attending Reed College on the GI Bill

met Gary Snyder and Lew Welch in the late 1940's and moved into a rooming house with them in 1950; they established a bohemian style of their own in the subculture of the Reed literati

had long admired William Carlos Williams, and was encouraged by him when WCW visited Reed College in 1950

Reed College, BA, 1951 - thesis project a book of poems called Three Satires

was one of the poets who read in the famous Gallery Six reading of October 13, 1955, along with Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso, Michael McClure, Philip Lamantia, and emcee Kenneth Rexroth

practiced Zen in Kyoto, Japan, 1965-1967 and 1969-1971

ordained Zen priest in the Soto lineage 1973

Dharma name: Unsui Zenshin Ryufu

became head monk of Dharma Sangha, Crestone Mountain, Santa Fe New Mexico, 1984

received Dharma transmission in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki 1987

became abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center, San Francisco, 1991


death of Philip Whalen

note on the death of Philip Whalen, with poems

obituary of Philip Whalen in the San Francisco Chronicle

notice of memorial service for Philip Whalen in the San Francisco Chronicle

Miriam Bobkoff page about Dharma Sangha, Philip Whalen, and many other wonderful things she knows about

note on a reading by Philip Whalen, Gary Snyder, and Lew Welch

"Poetry in the Wild" article by Christopher Frizzelle in the Seattle Weekly regarding John Suiter's Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, and Jack Kerouac on the North Cascades.


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