Ex-Packard poet Phillip Levine died

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2015/2/16 9:29:23

While poetry is seldom discussed in this forum, I'd like to note that 88 year old Phillip Levine died over the weekend.

Born in Detroit, he worked at the EGB Packard plant, and later at Cadillac where his experiences help shape his award (Pulitzer, National Literary, etc) winning poems that reflected post-war workers and the lives they led. Today's New York Times contains an observation of his that compares a '37 Packard grille to that of a Rolls (we're all human, no matter how much a guy makes...a matter of perceived degrees, at most). The realities of the assembly line worker's existence is contained in the ways he put thoughts and words together.

If you're not familiar with his work, I'd suggest looking at it. You may discover some of the talent that was hidden in many of the workers who made do by crafting the Detroit cars that we still love, to support other quests. There are some real gems hidden in the gravel of that history. There is a Detroit realness in Levine's poetry that strongly reminds me of another recently departed literary talent, Elmore Leonard.