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For poem as extension of the body see Olson, "Proprioception," which is
probably where McClure picked it up. But it was out there as an idea.

Mark

At 10:03 AM 6/17/2001 +0800, you wrote:
>Thanks for the Einstein/Tagore quote, Maria. For you and any other
>interested parties, Michael McClure has an interesting book called
>_Scratching the Beat Surface_, which I dip in and out of often. It is a
>series of essays and memories about the Beats and about his engagement with
>the animal nature of human beings, and concludes with a poem called _Hail
>Thee Who Play_
>
>He qoutes complete poems by Snyder, Olson, Whalen, Creeley, Kerouac, Crane,
>Blackburn, and part of _Howl_ by Ginsberg. Much of his thesis is 'a
>conception of the poem as a physical extension of the body', exploring a
>'biological basis for poetry'. (Quotes from the jacket.)
>
>My copy's a hardback from North Point Press, San Francisco, 1982. Well
>worth investigating.
>
>Andrew
>
>PS: Aren't North Point Books well produced! I like the feel of them, and
>their practicality - wellbound, easily read - gives you confidence in the
>text as well. I think when you read books that you are afraid to open out
>flat a little of that insecurity comes into your reading. Is it just me?
>
>AB
>
>----------------------------------------
>Andrew Burke                 Copywriting
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>http://www.bam.com.au/andrew/    Editing
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>