his first publications were "the dancer" (1951), as "jargon", no. 2, 1951, by the sad devil press/black mountain college; "the dutiful son" (1956) by jonathan williams's jargon society, reprinted by leroi jones's totem press in 1961, "the love bit and other poems" (1962), again with totem. his satiric western drama "the great american desert" was the first play produced by robert nichols, directed by lawrence kornfeld, who had been with the living theatre, at the judson poets' theatre. it opened on november 18, 1961.