Paul Fericano - Career

Career

From 1974 to present, Fericano has been editor/publisher of Poor Souls Press (formerly Scarecrow Books). In 1976 he launched the mock literary movement known as, "Stoogism," satirizing the pretensions of all literary schools. "Stoogism" was later embraced by other poets and writers, including Allen Ginsberg, Elio Ligi, Joyce Odam, Peter Cherches, Charles Bukowski, A. D. Winans, Ronald Koertge, Richard Grayson, Ann Menebroker, Don Skiles and Gerald Locklin. In 1977 Fericano edited Stoogism Anthology, both a rare colflection of satiric work by 47 writers, and a unique poetry and film tribute to The Three Stooges comedy team.

In 1978, one of his poems, "The Three Stooges at a Hollywood Party", from his book, Loading the Revolver with Real Bullets, provoked outrage in some Republican members of the California State legislature who claimed the poem libeled actor John Wayne. Published by Second Coming Press and funded by a grant from the California Arts Council, lawmakers used this as a reason for denying Jane Fonda's appointment at the time to the California Arts Council by Jerry Brown during his first turn as governor of California.

Fericano also received a federal grant in 1980 for the Small Press Racks in Library Project from the National Endowment for the Arts,a federal arts funding organization that would run afoul of conservatives in the 1990s.