Do Angels Need Haircuts? -Lou Reed

In August '70, Lou Reed, 28 years old, slapped the Velvet Underground, went to his corner in Long Island (New York), and chose a most crazy creative path: poetry. He isolated himself for ages, reinventing his image, swearing on every guitar chord that he would never touch rock 'n' roll again. Reed began to throw out rhymes and dump his writings into underground zines .

"I'm a poet," which he spat on stage in March '71 at St. Mark's Church. His hiatus from rock didn't last long, but his love of words remained etched in the asphalt forever.

"Do Angels Need Haircuts?" is a great testament to this pivotal moment in Reed's career. This book brings together poems, photos by the likes of Mick Rock, Moe Tucker, and others, with shots from rare poetry fanzines. Anne Waldman signs a new intro, Don Fleming drops archival notes, and Laurie Anderson closes the mess with a heartfelt conclusion. This book pokes a hole in reality for you to discover this little-known part of the life of one of the most offbeat and uncompromising voices in American pop culture.