Melville House Books

Today is the birthday of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, born this day in in Yonkers, New York, in 1919. Ferlinghetti was one of the founding poets of the Beat movement in San Francisco in the 1950′s, and an important figure in American letters in his role as bookseller and publisher of City Lights Books in San Francisco. Below he reads ‘Loud Prayer’ at The Band’s final concert, as shown in the Martin Scorcese film of the event, The Last Waltz.

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