Joseph Madison LeSueur (September 15, 1924 – May 14, 2001 [1]) was an American poet and screenwriter. He is known as a lover of Frank O'Hara and the author of Digressions on Some Poems by Frank O’Hara: A Memoir. [2] [3] [4]
Life
LeSueur grew up in Los Angeles, California and was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in World War II and attended the University of Southern California on the GI Bill. [3] After graduating, he moved to New York City in 1949. [3] [5] LeSueur met O'Hara at a party in 1951, [2] and the two lived together between 1955 and 1965. [6] [3] During these years, O'Hara wrote many of his most famous poems, including the collection Lunch Poems. [7] From 1959 to 1963, the two lived at 441 East 9th St in the East Village. [8] As a member of the New York literary and art scenes, LeSueur knew Andy Warhol and the two conspired to write a movie together. [9] He was also a friend of the writer and translator Patsy Southgate. [7]
LeSueur's social circle is depicted in Wynn Chamberlain's diptych "Poets Dressed and Undressed," which shows LeSueur alongside O'Hara, Joe Brainard, and Frank Lima. [10]
LeSueur died on May 14, 2001, in East Hampton, New York, aged 76. [11]
Career
Having worked as an editor and critic, LeSueur eventually found work as a regular writer for the soap opera Guiding Light. [3] [7] He was a writer for several TV series, including Another World (1964), Texas (1980) and Ryan's Hope (1975). [12]
With Bill Berkson, he edited the book Homage to Frank O'Hara (Big Sky Books, 1978). [13]
Digressions on Some Poems by Frank O’Hara: A Memoir is a book that weaves together poems by O'Hara and LeSueur's own memoir. [6] LeSueur finished the book shortly before his own death in 2001. [14]
References
- ^ "Joseph Madison "Joe" LeSueur". FindAGrave.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ a b Hammer, Langdon (2003-04-13). "Village People". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e Farr, Jason S. (2019-08-19). "The Queer Kinship of Our Literary Lives: A Tribute to My Uncle Joe LeSueur (and Frank O'Hara)". The Rambling. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- ^ "Alex Katz Painting Goes To Auction in Los Angeles". lamodern.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ "Author". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ a b "Digressions on Some Poems by Frank O'Hara | Joe LeSueur | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ a b c "Joe LeSueur (1924-2001) - Find A Grave Memorial". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ "Frank O'Hara Residence". NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ "Andy Warhol - Messy Lives". warholstars.org. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- ^ Weber, Bruce (2014-12-07). "Wynn Chamberlain, an Artist in Paint, on Screen and in Novels, Dies at 87 (Published 2014)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths LE SUEUR, JOE". The New York Times. 2001-06-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
- ^ "Joe LeSueur". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
- ^ www.bibliopolis.com. "Homage To Frank O'Hara Big Sky 11/12 by Bill Berkson, Joe LeSueur on Derringer Books". Derringer Books. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
- ^ "Digressions on Some Poems by Frank O'Hara: A Memoir". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.