Michael McClure, born in Marysville, Kansas, is an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist.

McClure first found fame as a young man after moving to San Francisco as he became one of five poets who read at the famous San Francisco Six Gallery reading in 1955.

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• Mephistos and Other Poems (City Light Publishers, 2016)
• Old Angel Midnight City (City Lights Publishers, 2016)
  
• Specks (Talonbooks, 2nd ed., 2012)
  
• Of Indigo and Saffron: New and Selected Poems(University of California Press, 2011)
  
• Mysteriosos and Other Poems (New Directions, 2010)
  
• The Last American Valentine: Illustrated poems to seduce and destroy (Write Bloody Publishing, 2008)
  
• Touching the Edge (Shambhala, 1999)
  
• Huge Dreams: San Fransico and Beat Poems (Penguin Poets, 1999)
  
• Rain Mirror (New Directions, 1999)
  
• General Gorgeous (Dramatistis Play Service, 1998)
  
• Simple Eyes (New Directions, 1994)
• Lighting the Corners: On Nature, Art, & the Visionary: Essays & Interviews (University of New Mexico, 1994)
  
• Acorn Alone: A Story for Children (A.R.E. Press, 1994)
  
• Rebel Lions(New Directions, 1991)
  
• Selected Poems (New Directions Publishing, 1986)
  
• The Beard and Vktms: Two Plays by Michael McClure (Grove Press, 1985)
  
• Fragments of Perseus (New Directions, 1983)
• Scratching the Beat Surface: Essays on New Vision from Blake to Kerouac (North Point Press, 1982)
  
• Hymns to St. Geryon & Dark Brown (Grey Fox Press, 1980)
  
• Josephine: The Mouse Singer (New Directions Publishing, 1980)
  
• The Grabbing of the Fairy(Truck Press, 1978)
  
• Gorf (New Directions, 1976)
  
• Antechamber & Other Poems (Ne Directions Publishing, 1975)
  
• A Fist-Full (1956-57) (1974)
  
• Rare Angel (Black Sparrow Press, 1974)
  
• Jaguar Skies (New Directions Publishing, 1973)
  
• Solstice Blossom (1973)
  
• The Book of Joanna (Sand Dollar, 1973)
  
• The Mammals-includes The Feast, The Blossom; or, Billy the Kid, and Pillow (Cranium Press, 1972)
  
• Gargoyle Cartoons (Delta Books/Dell Publishing, 1971)
  
• The Adept (Delacorte Press, 1971)
  
• The Mad Cub (Blue Moon Books, 1970/1995)
  
• Star (1970)
  
• Building a House: Inside and Out (Oxford Univeristy Press, 1969)
  
• Ghost Tantras (Four Seasons Foundation, 1969; City Light Publishers 2013)
  
• The Surge (Frontier Press, 1969)
  
• Little Odes and The Raptors (Black Sparrow Press, 1969)
  
• Hymns to St. Geryon and Other Poems (Cape Goliard Press, 1969)
  
• Muscled Apple Swift (Runcible Spoon, 1968)
  
• Hail Thee Who Play (Black Sparrow, 1968)
• September Blackberries (New Directions, 1968)
  
• The Sermons of Jean Harlow and the Curses of Billy the Kid (Four Seasons Foundation, 1968)
  
• The Beard (Grove Press, 1967)
  
• Freewheelin Frank (with Frank Reynolds) (Grove Press, 1967)
  
• The Blossom; or Billy the Kid (Great Lake Books, 1967)
  
• Love Lion Book (Four Seasons Foundation, 1966)
  
• Unto Caesar (1965)
  
• Poisoned Wheat (1965)
  
• Meat Science Essays (1963; City Lights Books, 1970)
  
• Dark Brown (Auerhahn Press, 1961)
  
• The New Book/A Book of Torture (Grove Press, 1961)
  
• For Artaud (Totem Press, 1959)
  
• Passage (J. Williams, 1956)

Books about Michael McClure:

• The Birth of the Beat Generation: visionaries, rebels and hipsters, 1944-1960 by Watson, S. (Pantheon Books, 1995)
  

THE MESSIAH IS OUR SHAPES
SPREAD INTO GHOST
OF REAL BEING.
We are lumps of beauty upturned
to sense our selves
that spread
from the heads
of our seeing.
Stick arms reaching for axes
chop
the night
we light
with our shoulders touching. to find ( (like thoughts in bubbles) ) THAT WE ARE, WE ARE, And our surge
may trip
to other stars
that are as we are-
GHOST OF REAL BEING
being
real

---From September Blackberries

The Corner Of Post And Powell

I WOULD KNOW WHAT ALL THESE
MYSTERIES ARE
AND RAISE MY MIND
to another kind
of being
that
is
fit
to chase
the fleetest
act of seeing.
All
these
Spirit
Things
are
loops
to rub against
as a foxy cat goes purring.
Angel. Skyscraper. Blue carnation.

---From Jaguar Skies

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• Two (1956) - as himself
  
• Be In (1967) - as himself
  
• Beyond The Law (1968) - as an actor
  
• The Hired Hand (1971) - as an actor
  
• The Last Waltz (1978) - as himself
  
• The Source (1999) - as himself
  
• Love Her Madly (2002) - as himself
  
• The Third Mind (2006) - as himself
  
• Curses and Sermons (2008) - based on his work

• Michael's Website
• McClure & Manzarek website