•THE POST-PIRE LITERARY WORLD OF SAN FRANCISCO 



0ilbl X want to ask you some questions about the general 

 literary scene you foimd out here In San Francisco 

 riglit after the fire* What struck you as different 

 out here from what it was like in the East? 



Coggins: Although I didn^t work very long in Philadelphia, 

 I doubt if I would remember the names of more 

 than three or four poets vho were writing poetry 

 in Philadelphia at the time* When I came to 

 California I foiind I was right in the midst of 

 poets. There were a few norelists and historians 

 writing in Philadelphia, mostly novelists and short 

 story writers, but we didn't publish any poetry* 

 I donH recall having any book of poetry offered to 

 ua« Out here we had people bringing us books of 

 poems all the time, more than any other kind of work* 



Gilbt How do you account for this prevalence of poetryt 



Coggins: In one way, Philadelphia was drab* It was a 



business city, not particularly colorful* Out here 

 there was more color* I made a little list coming 

 over here of people who were pretty well known at 

 this time in Califorziia* Even people who were not 

 readers would know of them* Joaquin Killer, for 



