d.a.levy's legacy functions all around us. His influence still exerts itself in microzines of all sorts. His legend persists, though it obscures him as a poet by recasting him as a martyr, subject of conspiracy theories, and focal point for revisionist, reconstructed, and recycled gossip. He makes odd appearances in such places as the rock band Sonic Youth's cd, nyc ghosts & flowers, which includes allusions to his poetry, references to him, and even one of his drawings in the liner notes.

Yet focused criticism remains hard to find, and includes such problems as a continuation of the outlaw mythmaking begun some 34 years ago, as well as gentrifying him along the lines of late 20th century literatti. We would like to steer clear of both tendencies, and simply continue to insist on the importance of his poetry as poetry.

Our offering here begins with a contemplative essay by Gary Snyder, published in 1977 - perhaps the first consideration that took levy seriously as a poet and received relatively broad distribution. Next we present an essay of mine which examines The Tibetan Stroboscope in terms of the counterculture and alternative publishing scene of the 60s. Ingrid Swanberg discusses his poetry using tools made available by more recent critical theory. Alan Horvath reveals important aspects of levy's work in the context of a series of reprints that continue the lines of levy production. Finally, D. r. Wagner recalls his collaboration with levy on The Egyptian Stroboscope. We hope that this gathering will cover a reasonably wide spectrum without throwing new obstructions in the reader's way. These essays should be more thought-provoking than definitive.

This group of essays went on-line on the 4th of July, 2000, still anticipating an Independence Day that would include people like d.a.levy.

The Dharma Eye of d.a.levy by Gary Snyder.

The Turning Pages of Light and Darkness: d.a.levy's Tibetan Stroboscope by Karl Young

d.a.levy's "destructive writing" and the Instant of Communication by Ingrid Swanberg

The Definitive Copy (Reprinting d.a.levy in the 2000s) by Alan Horvath

A Quick Look Into The Egyptian Stroboscope. a book written collaboratively by d.a.levy and D. r. Wagner by D. r. Wagner