This past Monday, the Library of Congress opened the show “Books That Shaped America”, 88 initial titles – “Howl” is, of course, among them (“On The Road” too). The list is, they point out, “not a register of the “best” American books – although many of them fit that description -Rather (it) is intended to spark a national conversation..” Among other poets included – Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams, Robert Frostand Langston Hughes
Sweet memory traces, Allen is as ubiquitous as ever. Check out these fugitive postcards, postcards to the architect, Ed White, from Denver’s Auraria Library
Here’s photographer, Bruce Weber, being interviewed. In answer to the question (veiled declaration?), “Isn’t beauty age-less?” – “Not necessarily. You know I’ve met some people in my life who were much older than me at the time, but their spirit was so young. I met the poet Allen Ginsberg, for instance, and he was so open and so free of expression as a person and in his poetry. This is where beauty really lies, in my opinion. I think each day brings you a different experience (of) it and you try to make something personal out of it, something you can share”.
Eric Greinke has been awarded the 2012 Passaic County Community College Allen Ginsberg Award
Christian Kallen reviews the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Lawrence Ferlinghetti show
For all you Tim Leary-o-philes, the Timothy Leary Archives have just released a never-before-published transcript of a conversation between John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Timothy Leary and Rosemary Leary, at the Montreal “Bed-In” in May of ’69.
More archival-revival news – do you know that Lawrence Lipton’s 1959 Holy Barbarians
is now available on-line in its entirety? – on the incomparable Internet Archives here
Colorado wildfire news (sic) We are obviously following the situation there with concern. The Naropa Summer session continues out there (week three). Allen and Peter’s ashes are safe (encased in stone) but obviously getting something of a roasting!