June 26, 2009

Happy Birthday, Frank!

by

Today is poet Frank O’Hara‘s birthday. He was born on this day in 1926. Below is a clip of O’Hara reading “Having a Coke with You”. It is a beautiful example of his casual, seemingly effortless style — a style which carried with remarkable lightness its great feeling and complexity. This clip was filmed March 5, 1966 in his loft in New York City a few months before his death.

Valerie Merians is the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    It’s not his birthday. It’s his death day:

    http://laurelsnyder.com/?page_id=4

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    It’s not his birthday. It’s his death day:

    http://laurelsnyder.com/?page_id=4

  • John Ashbery

    Fact check: O’Hara was actually born in March. His parents concealed his true birthday to hide the fact that he was conceived out of wedlock.

  • John Ashbery

    Fact check: O’Hara was actually born in March. His parents concealed his true birthday to hide the fact that he was conceived out of wedlock.

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    Cripes. Now I feel really dumb.

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    Cripes. Now I feel really dumb.

  • http://mattcozart.blogspot.com Matt

    The Academy of American Poets site gives his birthday as June 27…

    http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/164

    But this site says he was actually born March 27…

    http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/03/born-march-27-frank-ohara.html

  • http://mattcozart.blogspot.com Matt

    The Academy of American Poets site gives his birthday as June 27…

    http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/164

    But this site says he was actually born March 27…

    http://bandofthebes.typepad.com/bandofthebes/2009/03/born-march-27-frank-ohara.html

  • http://mattcozart.blogspot.com Matt

    Oh, ha. I didn’t see the first comment. He would know!

  • http://mattcozart.blogspot.com Matt

    Oh, ha. I didn’t see the first comment. He would know!

  • http://pescatarianepiscopalian.blogspot.com/ Reynard Seifert

    additionally, the old date was june 27 and has been adjusted to march 27, for factual accuracy.

  • http://pescatarianepiscopalian.blogspot.com/ Reynard Seifert

    additionally, the old date was june 27 and has been adjusted to march 27, for factual accuracy.

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    In any case, I should have known better than to use Wikipedia as my source…

  • http://laurelsnyder.com Laurel Snyder

    In any case, I should have known better than to use Wikipedia as my source…

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