This coming Sunday from 6 to 8.30 in New York City at the Bowery Poets Club, “Poets, musicians, friends and family are gathering to celebrate the three-quarter of a century mark in the life of .. formidable poet, author, Yippie activist, Pentagon exorcist and founding Fug, Ed Sanders. Among those participating Steven Taylor, Coby Batty , Larry “Ratso” Sloman, Sparrow, Penny Arcade, John S Hall.. and (guests of honor) Ed and Miriam Sanders.
John Tytell‘s – The Beat Interviews (just out from Beatdom Books) – “In The Beat Interviews, John Tytell speaks with Beat Generation luminaries, Herbert Huncke, John Clellon Holmes, William S Burroughs, Carl Solomon, and Allen Ginsberg about their lives and the lives of their contemporaries. These groundbreaking interviews were conducted in the 1970’s and are collected here together for the first time. In addition, the author has gathered essays giving insight into the style and philosophy of the Beats elucidating on the interviews to provide a comprensive over-view of the Beat movement”
“Evilcyclist”‘s early review of the book is here
Here’s Herbert Huncke rapping over music by Chuck Prophet – “I Travelled Mostly On The Road” (speaking here of the time when he turned Burroughs on to heroin)
Here’s John Clelland Holmes (talking of Kerouac – “there are sections in that book (Visions of Cody).. as awesome as organ chords”)
Here’s Ed Sanders and Allen reciting the Prajnaparamita Sutra at Carl Solomon’s funeral.
(photographed by Mellon Tytell
Allen as teacher – From Randy Roark‘s recently-uploaded interview with Kirpal Gordon:
Kirpal Gordon: “AG was a most courageous human who took seriously the need to speak truth to power, said smart things when critiquing my work, had the best BS antennae I’d ever encountered and challenged me…” … Mr Beat was hip enough to be square whenever skillful means called for it..” For more of/the rest of Roark’s illuminating interview (Allen is featured prominently in it) – see here.