Levy, D. A.

D.a. levy (Darryl Allen Levy) was a central figure in poetry and the publishing of poetry in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1962 until his death in 1968. Using a small hand letterpress and mimeograph, levy produced and distributed hundreds of chapbooks, pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers. From 1963-1968 his 7 Flowers Press and his publications The Marrahwannah Quarterly and The Buddhist Third Class Junk Mail Oracle printed the works of scores of Cleveland poets. His own poetry appeared in journals throughout the United States. A significant figure in the Cleveland counterculture of the 1960s, he was arrested several times. He committed suicide in 1968.

From the description of D.a. levy papers, 1964-1981. (Rhinelander District Library). WorldCat record id: 43344881

Darryl Allen Levy (d.a. levy) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 29, 1942, to Joseph and Caroline Levy. His parents changed the spelling of their surname from "Levey" to "Levy" in the 1940s; however levy's older brother, James, retained the original spelling. levy graduated from James Ford Rhodes High School in 1960, after which he spent seven months in the U. S. Navy, based in San Diego. levy's Navy experience, as described in numerous letters to family members, was very unpleasant and difficult. After his early release from the service, levy focused his energies on poetry, artwork, and publishing. levy is considered one of the founders of the "mimeograph revolution" of printing and distributing poetry and other publications during the second half of the 20th century. This "do-it-yourself" approach to publication utilized a mimeograph, producing small print runs often utilizing local materials on hand such as discarded paper stock. levy collaborated with a large network of poets and artists including Tom Kryss, rjs (Robert J. Sigmund), Kent Taylor, D.r. Wagner, Russell Salamon, and many others both within and outside of the Cleveland poetry scene. According to Jeff Maser, "levy lead an itinerant life. Though he did not 'travel' in the normal sense, he would often stay with friends and family members for short periods of time, or take month-to-month rentals. Occasional trips were made to the West, to Wisconsin, and to New York, but to Cleveland he always returned." A dramatic series of events occurred in levy's life in 1967 when he was indicted by a grand jury, arrested, and jailed for "possessing and distributing obscene literature." In March of that same year, he was again arrested for "contributing to the delinquency of minors" in relation to a poetry reading he had given, attended by some minors. Friends and fellow poets, including Allen Ginsberg, rallied around levy through a series of events, publications, and fund raising efforts. His sentence for the second offense was eventually suspended and the prior grand jury charges were later dismissed. However, levy was left feeling increasingly isolated, under attack, and betrayed by his native city. levy died on November 24, 1968 at the age of 26. He was found by friends on the floor of his apartment, dead from a gunshot wound to the head, with a .22 caliber rifle by his body. His death was ruled a suicide.

From the guide to the d. a. levy collection of Carol Jedlinsky, 1959-1991, 1959-1962, (Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.)

From the guide to the d.a. levy and family archive, 1950-1988, 1960-1970, (Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.)

Darryl Allen Levy was born on October 29, 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio to Carolyn and Joseph Levy. The Levy family, including brother James (Jim) resided on the west side of Cleveland where Darryl attended James Ford Rhodes High School, graduating in 1960. After graduation he enlisted and served in the United States Navy but was later discharged for exhibiting "manic tendencies."

After returning to Cleveland in the early 1960s, levy (who began using lowercase "d.a. levy" as name) became active in Cleveland's emerging poetry scene, writing and publishing his own poetry and that of friends and contemporaries via his Renegade and Seven Flowers Presses. His method was meticulous as he hand-typeset numerous pages of poetry using a second-hand typesetting machine. He would collaborate with friends and fellow artists on design, often incorporating their original artwork into the handmade books.

Around this same time, levy began to attend local poetry events around the city including the Fenn College Poetry Workshop series with CSU Poetry Center founder Lewis Turco and The Free Lance Press workshops at the Shaker Heights home of poet and publisher Adelaide Simon. Intrigued by poetry readings he attended while visiting friends in New York City, levy initiated some of Cleveland's first free-forum coffeehouse readings. The Gate Coffeehouse in the basement of Trinity Cathedral (across from Cleveland State University) was the site of many such readings, one of which led to levy's arrest surrounding a Nov. 15, 1966 reading there where he accepted and then read poetry submitted by juveniles. City officials deemed the work "obscene" and levy was charged with "contributing to the delinquency of minors."

This however, wasn't levy's first brush with the law over issues of censorship. The Asphodel bookstore, run by levy's friend, bookseller Jim Lowell, was raided by Cleveland Police in 1966 and several books and poetry materials including those of levy's were confiscated and never returned. Both levy and Lowell were charged with "possession and distribution of allegedly obscene literature." The case attracted national attention drawing supporters such as poet Allen Ginsberg and the musical group The Fugs who later came to Cleveland to perform at a benefit to aid in the duo's legal defense.

levy continued to create his own art and promote other poets and artists throughout the 1960s, leading the "mimeograph revolution" publishing Cleveland's premier alternative newspapers "The Buddhist Third Class Junkmail Oracle" and "the Marrahwanhanna Quarterly. Both showcased the works of local and national poets and artists. He responded to the cultural and political turmoil of the times creating profound concrete and lyrical poetry and art. In 1968 he was invited to be a Poet in Residence at the Free University of Wisconsin where he taught a course on telepathy, communicating telepathically with his students, never present in the classroom.

Over time levy became frustrated with a perceived lack of appreciation for his and others' poetry and art. Coupled with his plea of "no contest" for his earlier arrest in lieu of a prison sentence, levy's behavior grew increasingly erratic. In late 1968, He began to tell friends that he was "leaving Cleveland," and gave away or destroyed much of his poetry/art and personal belongings.

On November 24, 1968, concerned friends went to his apartment in East Cleveland after repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful. There they discovered levy, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. His death was later ruled a suicide. He was 26 years old.

In October of 2005, Special Collections Department of the Michael Schwartz Library worked with Bottom Dog Press' Larry Smith and partnering local organizations supported by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council to host the d.a. levy and Cleveland/1960s Literary and Cultural Scene, part of the two day levyfest held in Cleveland at CSU and other locations throughout the city in celebration of levy's work. A panel discussion hosted by the Library included participants Michael Basinski, curator of the poetry collection at SUNY Buffalo, Joel Lipman, Profession of Art and English, University of Toledo, Ingrid Swanberg, editor of Abraxas Magazine and curator of the d.a. levy homepage website and D.R. Wagner, University of California, Davis, poet and artist. They discussed d.a. levy and his work in the mimeograph revolution era in Cleveland and the U.S. Running concurrent to this event was an exhibition of the d.a. levy collection which elicited overwhelming response, evident by demand and use of the material by poets, researchers and scholars.

From the guide to the d. a. levy Collection, 1963-1985, (Cleveland State University)

d. a. levy (Darryl Allen Levy, 1942-1968) was a central figure in poetry and the publishing of poetry in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1962 until his death. Using a small hand letterpress and a mimeograph, levy produced and distributed hundreds of chapbooks, pamphlets, magazines and newspapers. From 1963 through 1968 his 7 Flowers Press and his publications The Marrahwannah Quarterly, and The Buddhist Third Class Junk Mail Oracle, printed the works of scores of Cleveland poets. His own poetry appeared in numerous journals throughout the United States. levy became a notable figure in Cleveland's counterculture and attracted the attention of city officials and police. First, James Lowell, the owner of the Asphodel bookstore, was arrested by narcotics agents for selling levy's Marrawannah Quarterly. Shortly thereafter, on March 28, 1967, levy was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for reading poetry deemed obscene by city officials. About this time poet Allen Ginsberg began a correspondence with levy. After the arrests and subsequent plea bargains, which resulted in probation, levy continued his work, but the legal battles left him increasingly despondent. After arguing with his companion, Dagmar Ferek, and burning much of his poetry, levy committed suicide on November 24, 1968.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for d. a. levy

From the guide to the d. a. levy Papers, 1964-1981, (Western Reserve Historical Society)