The Anxiety of Influence
by Howie Good
A banner stretching across the building’s exterior said, What’s Shakin’. You entered through a glass door, walked down a long, dim hallway and up a set of stairs into an area with large windows. The view was constantly changing, and you weren’t always sure what you were looking at or how it was happening. Jack Kerouac berated you for your perceived lack of cool. William Burroughs wouldn’t remove his hat. If you were going to stop in somewhere, this wasn’t the best place. Many years would pass before anyone would realize that among the 20 most common passwords is “trustno1.”
About the Poet:
Howie Good is the author of The Titanic Sails at Dawn (Alien Buddha Press, 2019) and co-edits the journals UnLost and Unbroken.