American Writers Against the Vietnam War

American Writers Against the Vietnam War was an umbrella organization created in 1965 by American poets Robert Bly and David Ray.^[1] The group organized readings, meetings and joined in rallies, teach-ins, and demonstrations against the Vietnam War, allowing writers to protest under a collective identity of their own. Well-known American writers who participated in A.W.A.V.W. functions included Galway Kinnell, W.S. Merwin, Allen Ginsberg, Thomas McGrath, Adrienne Rich, Grace Paley, Douglas Kent Hall, and Robert Lowell.^[2]

Bly, a charismatic performer, was a frequently seen figure on American college campuses throughout the late 1960s and the 1970s; his readings often became de facto anti-war rallies. In 1967, Bly won the National Book Award for his book of poems The Light Around the Body; he used the prize money and proceeds from the book to fund the War Resistance efforts.

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