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James Mason | all galleries >> Galleries >> San Francisco > "We will bury you with poetry!"
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1988? James Mason

"We will bury you with poetry!"

City Lights Bookstore, San Francisco

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, left, and Andre Voznesenski re-enact the famous kitchen debate between Nixon and Khrushchev in which the wily Nikita made the famous pronouncement "We will bury you." What the media fails to mention is that Khrushchev also said to Nixon "Go fuck my grandmother!" I'm joking about what's going on in the photo, but it's easy to imagine Ferlinghetti threatening to bury his friend in poetry.

Leica M3 ,50mm Summicron,Kodak Tri-X 400

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James Mason11-May-2008 21:18
The grandmother story comes from photographer Elliot Erwitt, who took the famous photo of Nixon poking Nikita in the chest. Erwitt was raised in Italy and New York by Russian-born parents. Harrison Salisbury was also there, also could understand the "conversation," and confirmed what Erwitt said. I do have some North Beach photos, but not a lot. I'll be putting up more of them later.
Herve Blandin11-May-2008 18:49
Are you sure K. meant his GM, not Nixons? ;-)

Do you have more of these old North beach characters in your archives. Would love to see them. I remember hanging there in 76, Bob Kauffman was in pretty bad shape, but still alive. Gravenites played blues on Grant St with Naftalin.
I even had my first drop of alcohol at cafe Vesuvio back then.