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Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
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LETTERS
July/August 2005

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NO SYMPATHY FOR SCHWARTZ'S CAUSE

With rising dismay I read Stephen Schwartz's article on Philip Lamantia ["A Mystic and Tormented Believer," June 2005 Faith]. Mr. Schwartz might have a strong case that Lamantia was ostracized from the local poetry establishment due to his Roman Catholicism. Unfortunately, his article has such a fulminating, aggressive tone about it that this reader, at least, soon lost sympathy with his cause.

First, I was surprised to learn that "the local atheist establishment" is "embodied" in City Lights Books. I didn't know that Ferlinghetti had started City Lights in order to spread atheism. Should only atheists shop there? I also did not know that atheists are de facto liars and monsters, as the tone of Schwartz's article makes them out to be.

Mr. Schwartz fulminates about the "idolatrous, impious ways into which the city ... has fallen," and so on and so forth. Apparently, such has occurred due to the machinations of all those degenerate atheists; but I am under the impression that San Francisco has always been rather impious. Certainly the city has never pretended to be Norman Rockwell country.

Finally, and unsurprisingly, Mr. Schwartz reads like a (frustrated) Catholic triumphalist. He fairly gloats over the fact that Lamantia found guidance from "the brown cassock of the Franciscan orders," rather than, presumably, from the assembly of atheists and degenerates at City Lights Books. And Schwartz openly gloats about John Paul II, "the triumphant warrior against Communism," but I don't remember Karol Wojtyla ever going about trumpeting his triumphs. Yes, I think Mr. Schwartz betrays himself right there on that point.

Michael Biehl,
San Francisco

SCHWARTZ NOT THERE

In his article ["A Mystic and Tormented Believer"], Schwartz gives the impression he was actually present at the funeral service for Phillip Lamantia, yet no one saw him there. Schwartz appears to be reporting about the funeral as a first-hand witness. Please clarify, thank you.

Jack Sarfatti,
North Beach

Editor replies: Mr. Schwartz was not present at Philip Lamantia's funeral but drew his information from eyewitnesses at the event. Further, in his article, Schwartz did nowhere indicate he was present, nor would one necessarily gather from the paragraph describing the funeral that he was present. Since this story hit the streets, I have been included (without my request) in an e-mail exchange between various persons commenting on the Lamantia story. No one has yet challenged the accuracy of Schwartz's account of the funeral — they've only complained that he was not there.

A BIZARRE PIECE

I was delighted to see that the Faith dedicated a significant amount of space to the passing of the late Catholic surrealist poet Philip Lamantia. With his constant wrestling with demons and his brutal honesty in his poetry, Lamantia was a difficult figure to come to grips with, but one well worth reading, as he left a paper trail of his struggles in his poetry.

However, I was dismayed at the poor journalism of Suleyman Ahmad Stephen Schwartz. Not only was he lazy in identifying me as a "non-traditional Catholic poet" (I proudly accept ALL of the magisterial teachings of the Church, prefer to hear the mass in Latin, have perhaps written one poem in the last fifteen years, and have not called myself a poet in as many years, when I realized that my calling was elsewhere), but he neglected to do even the most rudimentary research to find my last name and to find that I have been a contributor to this newspaper. His comical descriptions of unnamed atheists and a certain "poseur" "slithering" into the Communion line would be nothing more than uncharitable speculation had he actually been there. Since no one I have talked to actually saw Mr. Schwartz at Lamantia's funeral mass, these nasty barbs must have come from some source he failed to attribute.

While I certainly do not know the state of Grace or lack thereof in any of the communicants, such speculation is completely unbecoming of a Catholic writer, who certainly had no way of knowing who went to confession beforehand. Of course, Mr. Schwartz is not a Catholic writer. Invective over the alleged (and ultimately impossible to know) sacrilege rings hollow when coming from someone who professes a faith that teaches that "God has no son."

Overall the piece seems to be less about shedding light on a complex and often maddeningly contradictory poet and more about settling scores with various individuals in San Francisco's poetry scene.

Even Mr. Schwartz's longing to cast Lamantia's battle with bipolar disorder as a struggle with his past association with shady characters is bizarre speculation brought up only to fling mud at Mr. Schwartz's enemies. Bed of Sphinxes, which was published by City Lights, not by Lamantia, as stated in the article, was an anthology of selected works. The very nature of such an anthology, especially of a poet as honest about his past as Lamantia, should necessarily include work that came from earlier, albeit darker, periods of the poet's life. At a particular point in Lamantia's life, he wrote a tribute to René Schwaller. In compiling a book that anthologizes Lamantia, including such a poem was fitting and no way implies that Lamantia still held those views.

In fact, Lamantia, who was always honest about his past, stridently denounced these ideas he once held, even as he continued to be fascinated with the civilization of ancient Egypt. To somehow suggest that Lamantia was a relapsi is nothing more than a peculiar speculation on the part of the author.

Philip Lamantia was an interesting character, one whose work and life presented many challenges to those who knew him and his work. As such, his passing is worthy of discussion in a local Catholic newspaper. Unfortunately, Mr. Schwartz's bizarre piece uses the life and death of this great poet to score points in his personal battles. The bare minimum of journalistic professionalism should have impelled Mr. Schwartz to recuse himself from the story.

Erik Keilholtz,
Oakland

GET REAL

Remove my name from your mailing list. I am sick of the Catholic Church trying to get in the way of people living their own lives. Abortion is none of your affair. NONE. Choice is available for anyone looking for it. I was born into a strong Catholic family, attended Catholic School till eighth grade, served on the altar, but stopped when I heard in 1966 that a priest had gotten "familiar" with a compatriot. NOTHING was ever done about it. I left the church due to the molestation problem that seems to only get worse and worse. Dig your heads out of the sand and be real. Poor people do not need to have families they can not afford. Birth control is simple, non-invasive, and works. The new guy in Rome seems to be heading in what I think to be the wrong direction. Nothing new there.

Stem Cell research is NOT based on embryo research only. It can save lives and can greatly increase the value of life for ALL.

Norman Meunier
received via e-mail

BRING IT ON

After reading some of your unappreciative letters to the editor, I must tell you what a blessing it has been receiving the Faith. It and EWTN (especially Father Corapi) are my oases in this "desert church." I feel for those who just don't get it due to some really bad shepherding of the flock in the past. Bring it on — my lifeline that I try to share with family who have left the church because they just didn't know any better and don't have access to what I've found. God Bless!

S&D,
Las Vegas

I LIKE NEWDOW

From reading letters to the editor from earlier issues, I sense a lot of hostility and intolerance by those opposed to the basic tenents of the Church. Ironically, they want and demand everyone to be tolerant of their ideas.

In response to an earlier issue discussing Michael Newdow and his opposition to "in God we trust ["Just False Religion?" April 2005 Faith], all I can say is that I like him. First he studied and practiced as a physician, then studied law, passed the bar, and became one of the few lawyers permitted to present to the Supreme Court. He has the strength of his convictions and the energy to fight. I don't approve of his particular viewpoint, but I love his enthusiasm and determination.

He's done quite a lot for the country. He's helping the majority of lazy Christians get off their couch and do something. This may be harsh, but it's accurate. If Christians don't become politically involved, even if it's just writing their congressman, we get a society without family values and embrace gay marriage, abortion, Terry Schiavo's euthanasia, banning of God, and removal of the Ten Commandments.

Unfortunately, part of this lack of action is inadvertently promoted by the church leadership. Sermons should be, in part, a call to action to support the values of the church rather than just the "good news" message. This includes actively supporting political platforms (not necessarily candidates or parties) that support family values.

Imagine thousands of Michael Newdows fighting for Christian values. You can be sure America would be different.

Name withheld at author's request
Mountain View

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