Tag Archives: James DenBoer

Douglas Blazek

One of the instigators of the “Mimeo Revolution“, poet and editor Douglas Blazek is considered a force in the American poetry “underground” of the 1960s. Early in his career, Blazek published hundreds of poems in dozens of books, chapbooks, and little magazines that, in Blazek’s words, “contributed to the ferment of the Sixties.” Blazek also founded and edited the magazine Ole and the small press Open Skull. As an editor, Blazek published work by Charles Bukowski, Robert Crumb, d.a. levy, and other non-establishment writers.

As described in the introduction to James DenBoer’s A Bibliography of the Published Works of Douglas Blazek: 1961-2001 (Glass Eye Books, 2003), Blazek is noteworthy for his prolific early period (1964-1978), followed by an extended hiatus. Between 1978 and 2009, Blazek published only one book, but this was also a time of intense creativity, as the poet focused on rewriting all his previously published work. The first book-length results of this labor, Aperture Mirror and Gutting Cats in Search of Fiddles, were published in 2012 by Edition Muta with more titles forthcoming.

The following indexes examine work during Blazek’s “prolific early period”.



References consulted:

Clay, Steven and Rodney Phillips. A SECRET LOCATION ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE: Adventures in Writing, 1960-1980
New York: New York Public Library / Granary Books, 1998

DenBoer, James. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PUBLISHED WORK OF DOUGLAS BLAZEK, 1961-2001
Florence: Glass Eye Books, 2003

Dorbin, Sanford. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES BUKOWSKI
Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1969

Fox, Hugh. THE LIVING UNDERGROUND: An Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry
East Lansing: Ghost Dance Press, 1969

Krumhansl, Aaron. A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE PRIMARY PUBLICATIONS OF CHARLES BUKOWSKI
Santa Rosa: Black Sparrow Press, 1999

Taylor, Kent  and Alan Horvath. LOOKING FOR D.A. LEVY (RANDOM SIGHTINGS): THE D.A. LEVY BIBLIOGRAPHY, Volume 1 [1963-1966]
Vancouver: Kirpan Press, 2006

Taylor, Kent  and Alan Horvath. LOOKING FOR D.A. LEVY (RANDOM SIGHTINGS): THE D.A. LEVY BIBLIOGRAPHY, Volume 2 [1967-1968]
Vancouver: Kirpan Press, 2008

Ole

Eight issues of Ole were published by Douglas Blazek using the Mimeo Press and Open Skull Press imprints from 1964 to 1967.

1. OLE, No. 1, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: The Mimeo Press, 1964
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, 400 numbered copies, mimeograph printed. (DenBoer C2)

“dedicated to the cause of making poetry dangerous”

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
Judson Crews
Ron Offen
Marvin Malone
Kirby Congdon

2. OLE, No. 2, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: The Mimeo Press, March 1965
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 5.5″ x 8.5″, mimeograph printed. (DenBoer C3)

“a magazine for all those unacknowledged legislators of the world, especially those who are really unacknowledged”

Contents:
d.a. levy
Charles Bukowski
William Wantling
Walter Lowenfels
Gil Orlovitz
Harold Norse
Clarence Major
Key Johnson
Marcus J. Grapes
Al Purdy
Kent Taylor
Steve Richmond

3. OLE, No. 3, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: The Mimeo Press, November 1965
First edition, saddle-stapled in printed and illustrated wrappers, 400 numbered copies, mimeograph printed. (DenBoer C4)

the original consciousness-expansion magazine”

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
Judson Crews
Ron Offen
Marvin Malone
Kirby Congdon

4. OLE, No. 4, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: The Mimeo Press, May 1966
First edition, saddle-stapled wrappers, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Blazek.(DenBoer C5)

“the poetfood for champions”

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
William Wantling
Steve Richmond
Clarence Major
Al Purdy
Harold Norse
Lee Harwood
Jack Anderson
Neeli Cheery

5. OLE, No.5, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: Open Skull Press, 1966
First edition, stapled wrappers, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Blazek. (DenBoer C6)

“Harold Norse special issue”

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
Harold Norse
James Baldwin
Anais Nin
William S. Burroughs
William Carlos Williams
Paul Carroll
Jack Hirschman

6. OLE, No. 6, edited by Douglas Blazek
Bensenville: Open Skull Press, July 1966
First edition, stapled wrappers, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Blazek. (DenBoer C7)

“the weird harvest special. the all poetry jab-eye reflex explosion issue”

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
Al Purdy
William Wantling
Harold Norse
D.r. Wagner
Larry Eigner
Steve Richmond
Jack Grapes
Jeff Nutall

7. OLE, No. 8, edited by Douglas Blazek
Wood Dale: Open Skull Press, April 1967
First edition, stapled wrappers, mimeograph printed. Cover art by Blazek. (DenBoer C8)

Note: issue 8 was published before issue 7

Contents:
Charles Bukowski
Charles Plymell
William Wantling
D.r. Wagner
Steve Richmond
Al Purdy
Harold Norse
Jeff Nutall
T.L. Kryss
Terry Stokes
Clive Matson

8. OLE, No.7, edited by Douglas Blazek
San Francisco: Open Skull Press, May 1967
First edition, stapled wrappers, mimeograph. Cover art by Charles Plymell. (DenBoer C9)

“The Godzilla Review issue of small press publications comprehensively encompassing books published over the last half-decade”

Contents:
d.a. levy
Charles Bukowski
Charles Plymell
William Wantling
D.r. Wagner
Steve Richmond
Al Purdy
Harold Norse
Jeff Nutall
T.L. Kryss
Terry Stokes
Clive Matson