ALLEN, Donald M.

ALLEN, PAYNE

Posted By: IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 11/6/2006 at 05:55:58

Donald M. Allen (1912-2004)

Donald M. Allen, an editor with a knack for discovering writers who would become luminaries and poets who challenged tradition, died last Sunday in San Francisco. He was 92 years old.

He had suffered from pneumonia, friends say, but remained interested in writing and poetry until his final days.

Mr. Allen, who was born in the small town of Cherokee, Iowa, had a lifelong interest in literature. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from the University of Iowa and taught English for many years.

He first made a name for himself as editor at Grove Press in New York, where he published the acclaimed anthology, "The New American Poetry 1945-1960."

The collection introduced writers from the Beat Generation and the New York and Black Mountain schools.

"He had published this groundbreaking poetry anthology that got everyone excited," said Marjorie Perloff, author and professor emeritus at Stanford.

Perloff met Mr. Allen in the early '70s when she was working on a book about the poet Frank O'Hara. The poet's editor was Mr. Allen.

"He was living in Bolinas when we met," said Perloff, noting that Mr. Allen had moved from New York to San Francisco around 1968. "I think Donald was the best editor for poetry of the last few decades. He put certain poets on the map and put a more experimental, avant-garde poetry on the map."

In San Francisco, he edited Jack Kerouac's "Mexico City Blues" and the San Francisco issue of Evergreen Review, which contained the first separate printing of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl."

He founded two influential literary presses, Grey Fox Press and Four Seasons Foundation, which published Gary Snyder, Kerouac, Ginsberg, O'Hara, Robert Duncan, Philip Whalen, Philip Lamantia, Lew Welch and Joanne Kyger. The presses also published works on philosophy, Buddhism and seminal gay and lesbian titles. Mr. Allen also edited author Richard Brautigan's first four books.

"Donald always stayed around poets and was really entertained by them," said poet Barbara Guest. "He had a great wit. He was highly intelligent. I met him in New York with Frank O'Hara. He was very devoted to Frank. As a consequence, he became very fond of me.

"He was always gathering the poets together and listening to their stories. He just simply enjoyed the conversation. He encouraged people."

Longtime friend Michael Williams said Mr. Allen never really retired and always had a "quiet, dignified charm."

Williams said Mr. Allen was defined by his contribution to literature and poetry but had another, lesser-known side.

"He was very proud of his World War II service," Williams said. "He served in the Pacific as a translator of Japanese documents. After the surrender of Japan, he went to London and served as the naval attache to the American Embassy. He received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service."

Mr. Allen's sister, Kathryn Payne, said her brother had a full and rich life. The life spanned from the town of 7,000 people in rural Iowa to China, where he taught English.

"He was very intelligent and as long as I can remember was interested in books," Payne said.

Mr. Allen was the oldest of the family's five children. Payne, who is 88, is the surviving family member.

Mr. Allen's papers are collected at Geisel Library at UC San Diego and the Stanford Library. The papers include manuscripts and correspondence between writers and editors.

He is survived by his sister, who lives in Charlottesville, Va.

Mr. Allen requested that no services be held.

-San Francisco Chronicle, September 5, 2004