Chasse, Robert. Purple Ravens and the World at War. n.p. [New York, NY]: n.p. [Torch Bookstore], n.d. [1966]. 10 p.; 21 x 29.5 cm.; ill. light blue wrappers.

Born in the New England working class family in 1934, Robert Chasse formed the New York-based Council for the Liberation of Daily Life with Bruce Elwell and Tony Verlaan in Fall 1967. The group officially became the Situationist International’s American section in November, 1968. After an internal feud, Chasse and Elwell resigned from the SI in December, 1969.

These poems pre-date Robert Chasse’s involvement with the Situationists. Chasse worked for the Bread & Puppet Theatre where he helped create a few masks. Between 1966 and 1967, he edited two issues of Life Chants & Songs of Revolution. These poetry anthologies featured Chasse’s own poems, as well as those of founding members of the Living Theatre, such as Julian Beck and Judith Malina. Around that time, Chasse also published a mimeographed version of two of his poems – Purple Ravens and The World at War.

We locate two copies on OCLC, at Northwestern and the New York Public Library.

To learn more about Robert Chasse and the American section of the Situationist International, please refer to Ecrits de la section Americaine de l’Internationale Situationniste (CMDE, 2012), trans. and preface by Fabrice de San Mateo. The preface was translated into English by Not Bored! and is available here

Since thanks to Fabrice de San Mateo for the biographical information on Robert Chasse.