that's the title of a list I began last nite. one of the entries is "Stanley Krippner to Diane Varsi." he is the parapsychologist. she is best known as an actress. because her career was short I fear she's not well known today. especially by the young who tend to know nothing that happend more than 20 years before their births.
Varsi was Oscar-nominated at 20 for "Peyton Place." her abrupt leaving of Hollywood to pursue a creative life on her own terms has become legend. she found her way to Bennington where she studied poetry with Ben Belitt (at around the time my dear friend Roberta Elzey did as well). sadly I've been unable to find any of her poems online. she settled in San Francisco where she did stage work as actress & director. she is sometimes dumped into the Beat barrel -- perhaps because of working with ruth weiss.
Stan introduced me to her in San Francisco in 1978. she was wearing a silk Chinese jacket & lookd beautiful. a year later I was back in her city & calld her. she was unable to meet me but we had what a remember was a long chat abt poetry. unfortunately I took no notes & time has erased all detail.
of all the people who are in this new list she was the one who jumpd out of it & swirls around my head this morning.
