Lew Welch

Personal

Vocation

American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts. Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s. He taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970. While involved in the San Francisco literary scene he became an active participant in Beat culture, living at various times with Gary Snyder and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Jack Kerouac based his character Dave Wain in his novel Big Sur (1962) on Welch. He had a common-law relationship with Polish refugee Magda Cregg. He acted as the stepfather of her son Hugh Anthony Cregg, III. Cregg later chose the stage-name Huey Lewis in honor of Welch. On May 23, 1971, he walked out of poet Gary Snyder's house in the mountains of California, leaving behind a suicide note. He had carried a stainless steel heavy-frame Smith & Wesson .22 caliber revolver. His body was never found. Link to Wikipedia biography