Suzie Harrison
Laguna Beach is where adult life began for poet Lee Mallory.
His life has taken him along a winding path that included a loss
of words, but he has found himself again where it all started. Last
week, he unveiled his new book of poems at the Pale Ale Poets
reading.
Mallory moved to Laguna when he was newly married in June 1969. He
was a recent graduate of UC Santa Barbara. Though he had written a
bit in college, he developed his skill and affinity for words in
Laguna.
His address was a little place on Broadway called Casa de
Mandingo, which was adjacent to World Savings.
"I was newly married, writing poetry in Laguna and driving a
taxi," Mallory said. "Driving a taxi -- there's not much of a better
way for a poet to get poet meat."
He has had a variety of colorful jobs that have been good to add
to his "poet meat."
"Snippets of life and happenings, characters, personalities and
incidents serve to make a writer's body of work," Mallory said.
"Laguna is a great place to be for a new writer looking on the world
with fresh eyes."
He liked the Bohemian ways, the parties, the hippies -- after all,
it was the summer of love.
"The town had such a Bohemian feel," Mallory said. "It seemed so
liberated and free. In a sense its always been at the vanguard with
personal freedom."
It was perfect for him: by day, driving the taxi, adding fuel to
the writing fire, and at night, transforming his thoughts into
poetry.
"Laguna was and still is such a glorious place to be young, in
love, and to be able to capture that was especially exciting,"
Mallory said. "Because a writer is able to capture that beauty and
excitement and 'lock it up' for eternity."
Mallory's first poems were published in Laguna, and it's here that
over the years he has established his core friendships.
"I have met some awesome poets in Laguna Beach," Mallory said.
But life took its course. He went to graduate school, was in the
army, had two daughters, Misty and Natalee, and got divorced. He has
been teaching at Santa Ana College since 1980.
"I had two wonderful daughters, good friends, I got a job at the
college teaching English," Mallory said. "I was always close to
Laguna and continued to look to Laguna for my creative spirit."
One hundred published poems and seven poetry books later, he had a
downturn in his life with the death of his 23-year-old daughter Misty
in September 1999. With her death, part of him died.
He was devastated. He lost his way and his words. Though he still
