Naming a Goddess
Herb Caen was a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1936 to 1996. He wrote a column almost daily, where he summarized the news and opined on the current gossip, with a characteristic sense of humor. He often wrote about San Francisco itself, celebrating the culture of the city and joking about its inhabitants.
It was Caen who named ruth weiss "the goddess of the beat generation", and the title stuck to her. After all, she was the first and most prominent female poet in the scene- and her seniority meant that she had a certain amount of influence on those who came after her. Her innovations- including reciting poetry to live jazz music- became hallmarks of the beat style.
The article Herb Caen wrote about ruth weiss. San Francisco Chronicle, B1, 1993.
“A FINE funkiness: Beat Generation goddess Ruth Weiss (she launched the jazz-poetry readings at The Cellar) and trumpeter Cowboy Noyd will have their first reunion since what John Ross calls "the bad old days" on Jan. 21 at Dog Eared Books on Valencia. Only two bucks for this historic moment. They met 30 yrs. ago at Jimbo's Bop City when Ruth was a waitress and Cowboy the house trumpet… Absolutely no. Noyd is not Brooklynese for nerd. Devotees of rock drumming will want to know that Prairie Prince is at the traps for both Paul Kantner's Starship and Todd Rundgren at the Warfield tomorrow night. A benefit for worthy Presidio Hill School… Accdg. to a big proud sign, the messiest stretch of Highway 24 east of Orinda was "Adopted By the Contra Costa Times." When Don Swartz phoned to complain about the mess, the Times knew just what to do. Removed the sign… You read where British Airways is paying almost a million in damages for a "dirty tricks" campaign against Virgin Atlantic Airlines? One of the tricks, as Steven Sherman notes, was "attempts by British Airways representatives to impersonate Virgin employees." I knew those neon halos wouldn't fool anybody.”
ruth's wasn't the only nickname coined by Caen. He invented the term "beatnik"[1] for the movement's leaders and the patrons who filled the North Beach salons and poetry readings. In fact, the term "beatnik", and the stereotypes that it conjured, of black-clad men with goatees and women in berets, caught on nationally and in some ways eclipsed the beat generation poets themselves.
Caen himself was an outside observer to the scene. He was primarily a humorist, writing quips and jabs about politicians, celebrities, and locals, including the beat community and its most prominent members. He invented nicknames off-the-cuff in playful ribbing and banter. According to Caen, Jack Kerouac took particular offense to one of his columns, saying, "You're putting us down and making us sound like jerks. I hate (the term 'beatnik'). Stop using it."[2]
The Community Enrichment Award the North Beach Chamber of Commerce presented to ruth weiss in 1999.
Nevertheless, what might have started out as an affectionate nickname came to be embraced by ruth weiss and the beat generation. In fact, in 1999 the North Beach chamber of commerce gave ruth an award for "community enrichment", also referring to her as the "beat generation goddess".
After all, for a literary movement seeking spiritual actualization, what higher honor is there?
A cinema still from the documentary “ruth weiss, the beat goddess” of ruth weiss looking divine. Taken by Melody C. Miller.
1. Caen, Herb (February 6, 1997). "Pocketful of Notes". SFGate.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2011.
2. https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/HOW-HERB-CAEN-NAMED-A-GENERATION-3018725.php