Philip Whalen 1923-2002)

A selective list of online literary criticism for San Francisco poet Philip Whalen, favoring signed articles by recognized scholars and articles published in peer-reviewed sources


main page | 20th-century literature | 20th-century poetry | San Francisco Renaissance


introduction & literary criticism

"Philip Whalen (1923-2002)." Poetry Foundation. Encyclopedia-type introduction to Whalen's themes and techniques, with a biography and samples of his poems.

Berrigan, Anselm. "Transmissions: on Philip Whalen's Overtime." Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Bouchard, Daniel. "An Hour with Philip Whalen." Poet Daniel Bouchard writes about a recent visit to Whalen. Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Christensen, Paul. "To Hunt for Words Under the Stones." Christensen discusses Philip Whalen's poetry in the context of the American tradition of Williams, Olsen, and Oppen. Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Clark, Tom. A review of Overtime: Selected Poems, edited by Michael Rothenberg, introduction by Leslie Scalapino, (Penguin, 1999). Jacket 7. Another review, by Keith Kumasen Abbott. The Beat Review 2, 1 (Jan. 2008)

Fischer, Norman. A review of Philip Whalen's Overtime: Selected Poems. Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Nichols, Travis. "How Do You Like Your World? The Zen of Philip Whalen." Poetry Foundation.

Hrebeniak, Michael. "In Memoriam Philip Whalen," Jacket 18 (Aug. 2002)

Schneider, Tensho David. "Looking Things Up With Philip Whalen." Schneider writes about hanging out with Whalen (1981). Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Smith, Dale. Introduction to a special Philip Whalen feature. "The essays presented in this feature vary, moving between critical evaluations within modernism (Paul Christensen), a proposal for a study of Whalen in context of American letters (Tom Devaney) and reviews of Overtime (Anselm Berrigan and Lewis MacAdams). David Schneider's recollection and Bill Berkson's brief memoir/ letter present personal accounts, while David Meltzer's engaging interview gathers the history that gives personal and cultural contexts to nearly half a century's poetic achievements." Jacket 11 (April 2000)

Smith, Dale. "Reading Philip Whalen." Jacket 5 (1998)

Suiter, John. An essay about John Suiter's Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalem & Jack Kerouac in the North Cascades, "Gary Snyder on Crater Mountain, 1952, " by Noel V. Bourasaw. Skagit River Journal

Suiter, John. A web site for John Suiter's Poets on the Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalem & Jack Kerouac in the North Cascades, provides excerpts from the book and some photos.

Welch, Lew. "Whalen's Poetry Swings Like Jazz." A review of Whalen's On Bear's Head. San Francisco Chronicle, June 22, 1969

Philip Whalen's obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle, June 27, 2002

Press release, Univ. of Calif. Berkeley's acquisition of Philip Whalen's twenty-years worth of personal papers and personal library.


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