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Opening Sequence & Titles Amiri Baraka Anne Waldman Ted Berrigan Kenward Elmslie Ed Sanders Helen Adam Tom Waits Charles Bukowski William S. Burroughs Christopher Dewdney Michael McClure Ted Milton Robert Creeley John Cage Four Horsemen Michael Ondaatje & Bukowski Jayne Cortez Diane DiPrima & Bukowski John Giorno Ntozake Shange Gary Snyder & Bukowski Allen Ginsberg Jim Carroll & Bukowski Miguel Algarin

Director Ron Mann has put together readings by 24 different poets (after filming a total of 60 writers reciting their works), and then has poet and author Charles Bukowski verbalize "everyman's" criticisms of poetry: it is boring, irrelevant, self-indulgent, and does not make much sense. Then he counterpoints these statements with dynamic, entertaining, and inspiring works by poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Leroi Jones, Anne Waldeman, Helen Adams and 20 others.

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