From the introduction by Allen Frost: " This is the inspiring story of a supreme artist absolutely committed to his dream. Kenneth Patchen's Painted Books, novels, prophecies and poems are a testament to life and hope. However this is also a tale of the adversity he faced: monetary critical neglect, and a physical pain that kept him bedridden for much of his life. Often reading these letters, the path of Kenneth Patchen's life can be drawn following his own words, in a philosphy that he established early on, "It's always because we love that we are rebellious..Patchen is revealed here as the beloved rebel poet whose refusal to accept boundaries led to his innovations in poetry and prose as well as painting and jazz." The Sackner Archive holds contians among other works, several Patchen's books with painted covers. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.