Lew Welch

Lewis Barrett "Lew" Welch, Jr. (August 16, 1926 — May 23, 1971?) was an American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts. Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s. He taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970. On May 23, 1971, he was believed to have committed suicide, after leaving a note. His body was never found Welch was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but moved with his mother and sister to California in 1929. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944 but never saw active service. He worked for a period before joining Stockton Junior College, where he developed an interest in the works of Gertrude Stein. In 1948, Welch...