The d.a. levy collection
you will not understand
for centuries."
— d a levy
As poet, artist and publisher, d.a. levy was an important literary and underground figure in Cleveland's emerging poetry and small/alternative press scene in the early 1960s and continued to be until his untimely death in 1968.
levy documented his love-hate relationship with the city and the politics of the day through his poetry and art which today provides a unique political and social perspective of 1960s Cleveland. Considered a visionary by many of his contemporaries, levy transcended the geographical boundaries of the city as well, with his work acknowledged by such nationally renowned poets as Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder. Read more about levy.
This on-line collection showcases materials from the Michael Schwartz Library's d.a. levy Collection at Cleveland State University and includes levy's poetry and artwork from the 1960s. Examples of work by his contemporaries, many of whom he published and/or collaborated with in his various publications are also available in the Library’s Special Collections Department.
Exhibit Features:
- Digital Gallery:
- Poetry
- Periodicals:
- Artwork - Includes watercolors, block prints, and collages.
- Manuscript Collection - Includes levy correspondence, unbound poetry, and related ephemera.
- Multimedia
- Newspaper Clippings - Newspaper accounts about levy and related poetry scenes from the Cleveland Press Collection clippings file
- Photographs - Photographs of and about levy and related poetry scenes from the Cleveland Press Collection.
- Levy Holdings at the Michael Schwartz Library, CSU - Books, periodicals and audio-visual materials by and/or about d.a. levy or published by him through his Renegade and 7 Flowers Presses. All items in the series are available in the Special Collections Department of the Michael Schwartz Library at Cleveland State University.
- Additional Resources
- Acknowledgements
