Tracing the Places of  d.a. levy (1942-1968)

Cleveland Poet-at-Large
"An exterior of normalcy"

“i still have a city to cover with lines”

Born October 29th, 1942

 Darryl Allan Levy born at Saint John's Hospital,
Detroit Ave., Cleveland,
to Joseph J. (43) and Carolyn (Lewis) Levy (32), 
manager of shoe store and housewife; middle/working class;
has a brother James (2 years older).
Father was born in England; mother born in Cleveland.

3608 Denison Ave. near W. 36 Street, where

Levy family lived in downstairs apartment
*     *     *

 Family home at 1954 W. 61^st Street, Cleveland

1946-1950

and the grass is growing
on the ashes of the city
where once i was born"
          *         *         *

2814 Tuxedo Ave., Parma, Ohio  1951-1954

"The Parma Police are still waiting for

Poncho Villa / are still waiting for
the confederate army to plant
rebel flags on the southern front"
          *         *         *

1705 W. Shaaf Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 1954-1960

"while blind men struggle
to keep traditions alive
my father watches football
games on television
to pass time
& i dream of his dad eyes
and i wonder about those blind men"
            *         *         *

620 Cahoon Rd. Bay Village, OH 1960-1961

620 Cahoon (Levy family) & 618 Cahoon (Czaban family)

For the RevoZution

at Bay Village they're planning
to dynamite the police station,
roaring motorcycles up the steps to
nirvana...
          *         *         *

W. 90th Street Czaban family home, d.a.levy
moves in with them after Navy 1962-1963

*         *         *

Apartment building near site of one

shared with Kent Taylor and Joanie Czaban
 Carnegie Ave. at Cedar Rd. 1963-1964
*      *      *

Jim Lowell in Asphodel Book Store, Arcade, 306 Superior Ave.
where levy hung-out and received mail. (CSU Archive)
*      *      *

For a time Sleeping at Adelaide Simon's home
14112 Becket Rd., Shaker Heights 1964
*        *        *

W. 22nd Street apartment near West Side Market 
& Hungarian Catholic Church St. above the Flats;
(top floor) shared with Russell Salamon 1964-1965 

 *         *         *

Erie Street Cemetery, E. 9th St. Cleveland

chipped inscriptions
a man raking leaves

in winter there are only
dark heads on the snow"
   

      Euclid Ave. and E. 115th St. Scene

    

The Coffeehouse & The Headquarters; Adele's Bar
Euclid Ave. and E. 115th St.

Most of my thirst

was quenched by answers
I brought myself
still, i suppose
i never could have found them
without that spot of light
on Euclid Ave.

you could not get
a good cup of coffee
at The Well
no matter
how hard you tried
or how long
you waited

************************************
The Gate Scene

"we were sitting on the living room floor
we were sitting in the kitchen
the fresh coffee in the air
when six detectives gently
knocked on the door
(with two warrants)
& i was arrested
on five counts of
Tending To Act in a way that might
contribute to the delinquency of a minor
that is, publishing a 17 yr olds poem
& reading my own poems
& giving away poems
                     
ALL THIS at THE GATE
in the basement
of Trinity Cathedral
with priests & ministers
& professors & college
students  & well known
but ignored ohio poets
pre sent

    

    
The Gate Coffeehouse
Late 1960's   and   Today (2004)
The Gate at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

Euclid Ave. and E. 22nd Street,
where "The Gate" poetry readings were held.

************************************


  d.a.levy (bearded) passing out magazines
at Wade Park Lagoon in Cleveland, 1968.

Strosacker Hall on Case Tech campus site of
Benefit Reading 1967 (Ginsberg, The Fugs, levy)

         (Photos from CSU Memory Project)

************************************

                          East Cleveland Scene

                   
             

               Euclid Avenue,between Superior Rd. and Windemere St.

    Continental Theatre (13931 Euclid) & The Well Coffeeehouse, 13923 Euclid
Nearby is  levy's Wymore Street apartment & The Crystal Bar-B-Q
on Euclid Ave. where his wife Dagmar worked

                                          (Photos from CSU Memory Project)

                                            *     *    *     *     *

13814 Strathmore Apartment, East Cleveland 1965-1966

"so many boring nights

quiet halloween parties on strathmore
smoking the benevolent herb"

     
*     *    *     *     *

 

* Savanah Street brick apartment building
  has been demolished, replaced by
  a playground 1966-1967

1744 Wymore Street, East Cleveland
apartment building 1967-1968

1744 Wymore Street, levy apartment
to rear of building facing West

   
Interior photos of 1744 Wymore Street Apartment,
condemned building today...2004

***************


Grave marker of d.a.levy at Whitehaven Cemetery
    Mayfield Heights, OH
*      *      *      *

Credits: Original photos taken by Larry Smith and Jason Teply