Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Poet Edward Field Reflects on the Bohemian Life

Edward Field looks back at life in Greenwich Village and beyond.
Edward Field looks back at life in Greenwich Village and beyond.

In the days after World War II, war veteran Edward Field was becoming a poet. In the process, he was witness to the modern history of Greenwich Village and its role as a birthplace of vivid literature and gay culture.

His memoir, The Man Who Would Marry Susan Sontag and Other Intimate Literary Portraits of the Bohemian Era, gives a glimpse into the lives of many personalities of the day. Frank O'Hara, James Baldwin and Susan Sontag all participated in a literary boom, attracting lasting acclaim. Others, such as the eccentric writer Alfred Chester -- whose obsession with Sontag is noted in the book's title -- fell into obscurity.

Field lends Liane Hansen his insights into an era.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

KUER is listener-supported public radio. Support this work by making a donation today.