Small Crowd Waits In Vain For Rexroth at Station; 250 Hear Talk

A crowd of 20--somewhat less than the 1000 expected--turned out at South Station to greet poet Kenneth Rexroth as he arrived in Boston for a reading sponsored by the Advocate.

Even those faithful were disappointed, since the mustachioed commentator on beatniks and beatnik poetry decided to drive to Boston and never did appear at the station.

The group that waited in vain for Rexroth was a strange combination of disgruntled newsmen, baggage porters, little boys waiting for their mothers, and a few scattered students who vaguely fulfilled the epithet of beatnik.

When one couple arrived--the boy attired in blue jeans and turtleneck sweater, the girl in black tights, skirt, and sweater--they were besieged by newsmen desperately looking for a story.

The girl turned out to be the only one in the crowd who had read anything by Rexroth, "Something in a magazine last year," while her boyfriend's knowledge of the poet extended to "listening to a record."

Richard A. Rand '62 editor of the Advocate, seemed as disappointed as the rest. "That's awful," he said in dismay. One wasn't sure whether he was speaking of the abortive welcoming demonstration or the ticket sales. Only 250 showed up in Sanders Theater to hear Rexroth Saturday.