What Just Happened

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What Just Happened is written by Richard Hell and published by . It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 1959708007 (ISBN 10) and 9781959708001 (ISBN 13).

The first trade edition of new poems by punk progenitor and acclaimed writer Richard Hell since he largely abandoned poetry at the age of 22 includes also a valedictory essay, "Falling Asleep," and a "list" of recent notebook writings, and art by Christopher Wool. Richard Hell dropped out of high school shortly after turning 17 to move to New York and become a poet, 1967. He succeeded at that but by 1973 had forsaken poetry writing for the composition of aggressive, lyrical songs that would soon be scorned and hailed as punk. After 10 years as a professional musician, in 1984 he switched again, leaving music and resuming writing but now prose-fiction and essays mostly. Come 2020, pandemic time, Hell, at the age of 70, found himself gratified, in lockdown isolation, to finally become a poet, a working poet without distractions or competing intentions, content(ish) to struggle the days into mediums for poems. The result comprises one half of this volume. The second half of the book consists of an essay called "Falling Asleep" and a list of note(book) entries called "Chronicle." "Falling Asleep," from 2019, is Hell's equivalent to Poe's late-life summing up of his conception of the universe, "Eureka" (but better). "Chronicle," compiled in 2021 at the behest of Adam Marnie for his F Publications pamphlet series, captures in 88 numbered entries Richard's view and experience of recent years.