tonyrodriguez@hotmail.com

An Anthology Celebrating 50 years of BEAT Writing.

I've Been Published In the 50th Anniversary of BEATITUDE MAGAZINE

Writer, poet and Tibetan Buddhist scholar Latif Harris, author of "Bodhisattva’s Busted Truth", is the proud editor of the highly anticipated "Beatitude Golden Anniversary". Harris has teamed up with writer, poet and Beat historian Neeli Cherkovski, author of From the Canyon Outward, who proudly served as co-editor on the "Beatitude Golden Anniversary" literary project. Together, Harris and Cherkovski have brought a shiny gem to the literary world by compiling a 50th year anniversary edition of "Beatitude", which was the well-respected literary journal founded in 1959 by Bob Kaufman, Allen Ginsberg, John Kelley, and William Margolis. Originally, Beatitude assisted in unveiling the literary talents of many aspiring poets of the early Beat Movement. And to honor that tradition, Harris and Cherkovski will soon release "Beatitude Golden Anniversary" to the eager masses of Beat enthusiasts.

In this anniversary edition, readers will come to explore the works of many iconic writers of the original Beat Movement, considerable thinkers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Diane di Prima, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Michael McClure, ruth weiss, Bob Kaufman and many others. But it doesn’t end there. Harris and Cherkovski have also included some vivacious work from many of the later-day Beats of the 60s and 70s, important names such as Charles Bukowski, H.D. Moe, Janine Pommy Vega and so on. The modern-day Beats, writers like Patrick Carrington, Katherine Hastings, Alejandro Murguia, Gerald Nicosia, W.J. Ray, A.D. Winans and others, are also proudly showcased in this explosive publication of hard core beatitude.

This is a must-have anthology, one put together with literary love and years of diligent planning. Nearly 500 pages in length, "Beatitude Golden Anniversary" promises readers a preeminent collection of pulsating works from numerous writers of the ever-thriving literary movement many proudly identify as Beat. Come and check out the release party of "Beatitude Golden Anniversary" at none other than City Lights Books in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 8th at 7:00 PM sharp. It’s sure to be a Beatific literary experience.

City Lights Bookstore
261 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-362-8193

"Beatitude Golden Anniversary" 1959-2009
Edited by Latif Harris and co-edited by Neeli Cherkovski
December 8th, 2009, nearly 500 pages
ISBN 978-0-615-29394-3, $25.00 (USA)

a bit about Tony

“Rodriguez’s work is touching and accessible, and that is not merely because he writes in a lucid and concise style, but because he seems to have a sound grasp on what makes humanity human. He never resorts to hubris, platitudes, or fables. Instead, his poetry and shorts reflect sympathy for the faults and shortcomings that inflict and unite all of his human brethren.”

H. S. Sheikh, The Tri-City Voice Newspaper


“Enjoy heartfelt poems and stories by an East Bay native.”

Kathleen Grant Geib, The Oakland Tribune Newspaper


“Visceral and vibrant, Tony R. Rodriguez’s poetry is disarmingly honest and honestly charming.”

Kathi Kamen Goldmark, author of And My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You


“Tony R. Rodriguez is an exciting new writer, raw as an exposed nerve, who prods and probes the dark recesses of the human psyche with excruciating candour. He wrestles with restlessness and the desire for rest, and grapples in life’s gutter with the meaning of life.”

Joseph Pearce, author of The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde


“You will find the sun in Tony R. Rodriguez’s work, shining from new angles, revealing the familiar as unknown and seemingly everyday events as one-of-a-kind moments. Not to be missed.”

Paul A. Toth, author of the novels Fishnet and Fizz


“Warm and insightful, Tony R. Rodriguez reveals the connections between our seemingly fragmented lives. A poignant call to those who may have forgotten the feeling of river stones beneath their feet, how the moon looked when you were supposed to be in bed or the art of listening to a birdsong. Here too is an honest study of human emotion, relationships and what it is that drives us.”

Mark Gwynne Jones, author of PsychicBread


“It occurs to me that Tony R. Rodriguez is working dicey ground. In the tradition of other literary rowdies, Kerouac, Bukowski, Kesey, he is not afraid of the lyrical in the service of the earthy. Or the spiritual ode in the quest for worldly sense. And . . . he uses language the way Hendrix used his guitar: to make beautiful noise.”

Corey Mesler, author of We Are Billion-Year-Old Carbon


“With provocative and poetic prose, Tony’s well-crafted storytelling takes us on a journey of the surreal. Picking up where the Beats left off, Tony is a fearless and innovative voice of a new Beat Generation.”

Johnny Olson, editor of MadSwirl.com


“Perhaps somewhere between On the Road and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas once hitchhiked the artistic talent of Tony R. Rodriguez; however, with simplicity regurgitated: poems and shorts he shows a growing maturity that places him closer to Corso’s ‘Writ on the Eve of My 32nd Birthday.’ He may not yet be “…old and wise with white hair in a tall library/in a deep chair by a fireplace,” but he is surely on his way with a collection of poems and stories that show a unique slice of his America as he strides into the new millennium, a voice to be reckoned with today and for years to come.”

Roger Humes, director of The Other Voices International Project


“There are writers who pull from places unseen by the rest of us. They find grace in the most mundane things. They find beauty in a dull stone. Then they show it to us. Tony R. Rodriguez is one such writer. He comes across in ways so beautiful, so adept, so wise, they are like a river of prose. There is no such point where one might stutter or halt their breath.”

Lisa Zaran, author of the sometimes girl


“A refreshing departure from what is normally spewed out by the mass media.”

Manika Casterline, The Ohlone Monitor Newspaper


“Rodriguez writes with fervor. He offers readers his opinion on various topics and does so with an uncomplicated method.”

Debra Gaynor, Reader Views


“Tony R. Rodriguez crafts his words to make everyday life carry more promise. His characterization and dialogue are brutally honest. They make a reader nod to his eloquent voice.”

Olutayo K. Osunsan, author of Strange Beauty


“With his Bay Area backdrop and provocative brushstroke, Rodriguez paints a glorious picture of life and love, of growing up and growing old, and of troubled souls we can easily relate to. Rodriguez’s tales are at once bittersweet, evocative, touching, redemptive, and, most enjoyably, surprising.”

Rob Rosen, author of Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love


“Rodriguez’s prose is simply exquisite! His style is passionate and evocative, like the sunset over Kuramo Waters. I really enjoy the way his stories are woven and larded with imageries rich and varied. His lyricism is riveting.”

Uche Peter Umez, author of Dark Through The Delta

Barnes and Noble reading — July 20th, 2006

Barnes and Noble reading — July 20th, 2006
joined by Kathi Kamen Goldmark, author of AND MY SHOES KEEP WALKING BACK TO YOU

Newark Public Library reading — February 6th, 2007

Newark Public Library reading — February 6th, 2007
joined by Newark Memorial High School poets

Newark Memorial High School reading — March 26th, 2007

Newark Memorial High School reading — March 26th, 2007

Newark Public Library reading - November 18th, 2008

Newark Public Library reading - November 18th, 2008
joined by Andrew David King, Cathlin Goulding, and Newark Memorial High School poets.

Las Positias College - May 16, 2009

Las Positias College - May 16, 2009

The Booksmith - July 14, 2009

The Booksmith - July 14, 2009
an "in conversation" literary event with Paul Krassner