Impromptu memorial honors life of SF poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti

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Douglas Zimmerman Feb. 24, 2021 (SFGate.com)

On Monday, San Francisco poet and City Lights founder Lawrence Ferlinghetti died at 101 years old.

A defender of free speech and anarchist activism, Ferlinghetti was one of the last remaining writers from the Beat generation.

On Tuesday night, a vigil was held outside the bookstore he co-founded in North Beach on Columbus Avenue in 1953.

Afterward, one of the vigil attendees created a sprawling chalk art memorial honoring the writer. Work on the chalk art continued for several hours after the vigil.

Many fans of the San Francisco author stopped by City Lights to view the memorial or add to it with the pieces of chalk left behind.

Chalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEChalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
A passerby views an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEA passerby views an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
A poem surrounded by flowers is part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEA poem surrounded by flowers is part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Anthony Buchanan views some of the chalk art part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAnthony Buchanan views some of the chalk art part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Chalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEChalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
A rose and poem are part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEA rose and poem are part of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
A visitor takes photos of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEA visitor takes photos of an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Several people add to the chalk art memorial outside City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATESeveral people add to the chalk art memorial outside City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Visitors look at the chalk art covering the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEVisitors look at the chalk art covering the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAn impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
A group of people view an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEA group of people view an impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti that appeared overnight in front of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEAn impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Chalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATEChalk art covers the sidewalk in front of City Lights bookstore in North Beach. An impromptu memorial in honor of Lawrence Ferlinghetti appeared overnight in front of the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco on Feb. 24, 2021.
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