Bob Kaufman

Jazz radio on a midnight kick,
Round about Midnight.
Sitting on the bed,

with a jazz type chick
Round about Midnight…
-from “Round About Midnight”

Born: April 18, 1925, New Orleans
Died: January 12, 1986, San Francisco

Bob Kaufman came from a huge family, and was the youngest of 13 children. At that young age, he joined the Merchant Marines. Twenty years later, he settled in San Francisco to write poetry. He was well known for his freedom of speech tactics, coffeehouse gatherings, and vow of silence when JFK was assassinated. He married Eileen Kaufman, and with the help of her and Ginsberg created “Beatitude,” a literary magazine in the San Francisco area. He enjoyed writing improvisational jazz poetry.