Leo Connellan was a man of both contradictions and single-minded passions. He rose at four everyday to write his poems in the solitary darkness of early morning, poems he would read out loud to his wife later in the day. His was a life of romance: he hitch-hiked across America, recited his poetry on the steps of Saint Mark’s with Allen Ginsburg, and stayed at Frieda Lawrence’s ranch. Yet, he fiercely embraced his working class Irish American roots and for many years he earned his living as a typewriter salesman.
Connellan was born in Portland, Maine in 1928 and by the time of his death in 2001, he had published 13 stunning books of poetry and was nearing the end of his term as Connecticut’s second Poet Laureate.
Down the Dark Pine Green is a celebration and a contemplation of Connellan’s life and work. Contributors include Hayden Carruth, Robert Creeley, David Shippee, Vivian Shipley, Richard Wilbur and others.
