On Bill Berkson and Frank O'Hara, “Hymns of St. Bridget”
“Hymns Of St. Bridget begins simply enough in October 1960 as the first collaboration between Bill Berkson and Frank O’Hara — from there it multiplies energetically into an ongoing exchange between Berkson and O’Hara that includes the FYI poems, The Letters of Angelicus and Fidelio, and Marcia: An Unfinished Novel. The synergistic impact of this poetic alliance extends beyond the literal collaborations and can be seen, for example, in the many poems by O’Hara referencing Berkson between 1960–1962: ‘For the Chinese New Year & for Bill Berkson,’ 'Bill’s Burnoose,’ 'Biotherm (for Bill Berkson),’ and others. Beyond 'Biotherm’ — a long poem that begins as a sort of pseudo-meditation on a skin cream — O’Hara further engages the chatty style explored in Hymns through a series of dialogues with television shows and films. 'The Jade Madonna’ (1964) has, for instance, the ambiance of the poet in collaboration with an old western movie. …”
“… By now Frank O’Hara’s is a well-known story, recorded in poetry, paintings, biographies and critical studies. There are web sites devoted to him. He inspired and inspires still generations of poets. He is revered as a kind of father of the American urban tradition in poetry. The cult of Frank O’Hara is widespread, his name almost ubiquitous with some. A tragic death on Fire Island when he was barely 40 years old, his legendary charm, generosity and charisma, the seemingly effortless cocktail hour production of his own work and his curatorial role among abstract expressionist painters make him today a figure larger than life. Like James Dean or Elvis Presley, he is deified and given new life in the cult of Adonis. …”
“Hymns of St. Bridget by Frank O'Hara and Bill Berkson (Adventures in Poetry, 1974). Stapled with a cover by Larry Rivers, the book is 20 pages long and includes 9 poems written together by O'Hara and Berkson, as the back matter says, 'between 1960 and 1962, mostly in New York. Some of them appeared in Evergreen Review and Chicago.’ Every poem’s title has something to do with Saint Bridget, like 'St. Bridget’s Hymn to William de Kooning’ and 'In the Summer House (With St. Bridget).’ The idea for the collaboration started when Berkson and O'Hara were walking down First Avenue and noticed the bent steeple of St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church. Berkson then wrote a poem in imitation of O'Hara about the steeple, 'Hymn to St. Bridget’s Steeple,’ which became the first poem in the book. Berkson showed the poem to O'Hara, who responded by suggesting they write a series of St. Bridget poems together. …”
“Yesterday brought the very sad news that the poet and art critic Bill Berkson had passed away at the age of 76. Berkson was of course of central importance to the New York School and its legacy, and over the coming days and months there will surely be many tributes and memorials, discussions of his poetry and its lasting importance. Although I didn’t know Berkson as well as so many did who are mourning his loss today, I was fortunate enough to meet him several times and to correspond with him. He was generous and kind, insightful and sharp, quick to share his insights about Frank O’Hara, James Schuyler, Amiri Baraka, and so much else with younger scholars and poets. He will be deeply missed. …”
Bill Berkson (1939-2016) and Frank O’Hara: “Bill’s School of New York”