Harry Northup

2.1. Birth and upbringing

Northup was born on September 2, 1940, in Amarillo, Texas. His early life was marked by frequent relocation, as he lived in 17 different places by the age of 17. However, he spent the majority of his formative years in Sidney, Nebraska, where he ultimately graduated from high school in 1958.

2.2. Education and training

Following his high school graduation, Northup served in the United States Navy from 1958 to 1961, achieving the rank of Second Class Radioman. After his military service, he pursued his passion for acting, studying Method acting with Frank Corsaro in New York City from 1963 to 1968. He furthered his academic pursuits by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from California State University, Northridge, where he specifically focused on poetry under the tutelage of Ann Stanford.

3.1. Acting career

Northup has sustained a professional acting career for over 30 years, appearing in a total of 37 films. He is particularly recognized for his close collaborations with acclaimed directors. He notably appeared in Martin Scorsese's first six feature films, which include Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967), Boxcar Bertha (1972), Mean Streets (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), and New York, New York (1977). His role as Mr. Bimmel in Jonathan Demme's critically acclaimed film The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is another significant credit. Northup also held starring roles in films such as Over the Edge (1979) and Fighting Mad (1976). Since 1976, he has been a member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

3.2. Poetry

Northup's poetry has been significantly influenced by a diverse group of poets, including Walt Whitman, Leland Hickman, Paul Blackburn, Ann Stanford, William Carlos Williams, and his second wife, Holly Prado. He was the visionary behind and coordinator of "Poetry on Melrose," a weekly poetry reading series held at Gasoline Alley in Los Angeles from 1986 to 1988. This series provided a platform for numerous poets, including notable figures like Robert Peters, Jack Hirschman, and Lewis MacAdams.

His published works include:

• Amarillo Born, Victor Jiminez Press, 1966
• The Jon Voight Poems, Mt. Averno Press, 1973
• Eros Ash, Momentum Press, 1976
• Enough The Great Running Chapel, Momentum Press, 1982
• The Images We Possess Kill The Capturing, Jesse Press, 1988
• The Ragged Vertical, Cahuenga Press, 1996
• Reunions, Cahuenga Press, 2001
• Greatest Hits, 1966-2001, Pudding House Press, 2002
• Red Snow Fence, Cahuenga Press, 2006
• Where Bodies Again Recline, Cahuenga Press, 2011
• East Hollywood: Memorial To Reason, Cahuenga Press, 2015
• Love Poem to MPTF, Cahuenga Press, 2020

Northup's poetry has also been featured in numerous anthologies:

• Venice Thirteen, Bayrock Press, 1971
• The Streets Inside: Ten Los Angeles Poets, Momentum Press, 1978
• Foreign Exchange, Biographics, 1979
• Poetry Loves Poetry, An Anthology of Los Angeles Poets, Momentum Press, 1985
• Gridlock: An anthology of Poetry About Southern California, Applezaba Press, 1990
• Grand Passion, The Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond, Red Wind Books, 1995
• Corners of the Mouth, A Celebration of Thirty Years at the Annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival, Deer Tree Press, 2014
• Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond, Pacific Coast Poetry Series/Beyond Baroque Books, 2015
• Coiled Serpent, Poets Arising from the Cultural Quakes & Shifts of Los Angeles, Tia Chucha Press, 2016
• Beat Not Beat anthology, Moon Tide Press, 2022

3.3. Audio works

Harry E. Northup has released several audio recordings, including spoken word performances and interviews. His audio works include:

• Personal Crime, New Alliance Records, 1993
• Homes, New Alliance Records, 1995
• As Long As I Tell The Truth What Difference Does It Make To You - An Interview with Harry Northup, Alright, Dude Productions, 2010

4.1. Family and relationships

Northup has a son named Dylan from his first marriage. His second wife was the acclaimed poet and novelist Holly Prado, who passed away on June 14, 2019, at the age of 81.

6.1. Film

6.2. Television