a letter once to lawrence ferlinghetti

mr. ferlinghetti,

i discovered you on the back of a municipal garbage truck, “pictures of the gone world” stuffed in my jeans pocket, working to put myself thru college, not realizing i was learning more picking up trash. that little book drew a line for me from here to someplace else. growing up in cleveland, someplace else seemed like a heaven or even a second chance.

i began writing then and have since. i am a simple working man, my hands to a handle, and a writer by simply writing. i’ve published a number of short stories and received national accolades. i take pride in the words, but i try not to be proud.

i have written a novel wrought right out my chest. the writing has been praised by the editors that have read it, but its form seemingly takes them aback. it is an honest work and only mine, business wants what business wants.

i am hoping that you will read my novel, “there seemed a river”. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, your person at city lights has read it, “This is affecting work, but I’m afraid I can’t publish it myself.” as an artist, i think all we can ever hope for is to affect someone.

please give “there seemed a river” a place to seed. i am not asking for myself, the book is not about me, but beyond me and beautiful like wild things are. i believe in it completely and i believe in City Lights like i believed in that little book in my pocket and that someplace else, standing on the back of a garbage truck in 1981. this is the line from here to there…

brian david cinadr

the smallest hand can stir the largest ocean, thank you sir for sending a ripple my way…