Who Wrote Frank O'Hara's Poems?

They've been doing it to Shakespeare for centuries. They claim that Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare. Leave aside for the moment that this sentence exemplifies what Wittgenstein called nonsense. Think instead of the authentic pleasure that amateurs get out of arguing the case for or against Essex or Marlowe or the Swan of Avon. 

Now they're doing it to Frank O'Hara. The thesis has been advanced that Kenneth Koch wrote "A True Account of Talking to the Sun," forged it, and passed it off as Frank's. Why would someone make such a claim -- which, by the way, is totally inconsistent with the character of Kenneth Koch?

Could it be a bid for attention? An attempt to whip things up? An innocuous and perhaps enjoyable adventure in mental gymnastics?

Tony Towle, who knew O'Hara, has weighed in with his true account of the controversy-in-progress. -- DL

Comments

[David]

I read Towle's account yesterday and completely lost what little curiosity I had about Johnson's book. I also never would suspect Koch of anything like that.

[Jennifer Michael Hecht]

I think Stacey wrote this post.

[Kent Johnson]

I will have a detailed response to Tony Towle's post on Monday, at John Latta's Isola di Rifiuti blog.

Kent

[DL]

Thank you, Kent. We'll post a link to your response when it goes up.

[Kent Johnson]

That's very kind of you, David, thank you.

Kent

[Stacey]

Jennifer, you're close. I wrote the poem.

[Steven Waling]

Who wrote Frank O'Hara's poems? Isn't it obvious that it was Shakespeare? Ahh, but who was Shakespeare, there's the rub...

[shanna]

That's all very curious. Because Frank O'Hara writes some of my poems. I have never quite understood how he manages it, but it's quite definitely happening.

[DL]

Kenneth wrote some of my poems. But that's a secret.

[Edward II (Marlowe)]

Who cares? Shakespeare was a lousy, marginal poet at best.

[Stacey]

OK OK, I have to come clean. I'm Shakespeare.