Allen Ginsburg?, Allen Ginsberg! – we’ve spoken of this one before – the perils of spelling! Behind this undeniably foot-shooting error, (on You Tube), there is something of substance, however – video from 1985 (from WUFT), by Stephen Robitaille (directed by Alan Saperstein) – Allen as the master poet – poetic teaching, poetic instruction.
Student: Long strips of crocheted.. what do you call that stuff?
AG: Don’t stop to think of the right words..
Student: Anyway, I just put a line in there, and..
AG: Could you let me finish my sentence?
Student: I’m sorry
AG: Don’t stop to think of the right words, stop to see the picture better. “Don’t stop to see the words – comma – but to see the picture better” is (Jack) Kerouac‘s suggestion when you get into a problem like, “what do you call those”? – so then, you just see the picture and describe it.
Student: In this case, I just put a line there, forget it, and come back to it.
AG: No, don’t ever do that. Don’t ever put a line there and come back to it. Finish it there and then, because, if you finish it there and then, you’ll take the energy that you have during the time of writing and pursue it – because that’s when you have a picture. So, whatever occurred to your mind, make use of. And then, judge it later. You’ll have plenty of time to judge it. You have all your life to judge it and revise it! You don’t have to judge it on the spot there. What rises, respect it. Respect what rises…