1557: Poetry, Freedom, and 1970s Counterculture Life with WL Gertz

Most creative people don’t get stuck because they lack inspiration. They get stuck because life, routine, and fear slowly squeeze the magic out of them—until travel, art, or a single unexpected moment jolts them awake again. If you’ve ever wondered where your sense of wonder went… or felt like your most adventurous, curious self is trapped in the past, this episode is for you. In this episode of Marketer of the Day, poet and traveler WL Gertz joins Robert Plank to explore how travel, risk, and counterculture shaped his life and his work—from New York’s underground poetry scene in the 1970s to his recent return after a 50-year hiatus. WL shares how backpacking through Europe with almost no money, sleeping on trains and in parks, and navigating foreign languages with only a phrasebook didn’t just give him stories—it transformed him from a “little boy” into a man with lifelong street smarts, confidence, and perspective. We dig into the spirit of the 1960s and 70s, the Beat influence (Ginsberg, Kerouac, Burroughs), and why WL believes the “best period of your life in terms of freedom” never really leaves you. He talks about the revival of that spirit online—from TikTok to Substack to niche Facebook groups—and how modern creators actually have unprecedented access to art, music, and poetry… yet many still feel disconnected, passive, or stuck. Are we really more constrained now—or are we just not using the freedom and tools in front of us? WL also reveals how his travels and memories became the backbone of his two poetry collections, “Land of Forgotten Fish” and “Broken Dreams.” His style—bizarre, surreal, unapologetically non-obvious—pushes back against safe, rhyming, predictable poetry. He explains why he often finds a title before the poem, why not everything needs a literal meaning to hit hard, and how good poetry should make you think, feel, and maybe even write your own. If you’ve ever felt nostalgic for a time of greater freedom, wondered whether it’s “too late” to reinvent yourself, or wanted permission to create art that doesn’t neatly fit a box, WL’s story might be the nudge you need to pick up your metaphorical backpack and start moving again. Stay tuned! Resources: Official Website: https://www.wlgertz.com/ LinkedIn / Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-gertz-b3b82a4/ Amazon: https://a.co/d/0dDfzKFB Robert Plank Show: https://www.robertplank.com/1557-poetry-freedom-1970s-counterculture-wl-gertz/