Ginsbergian Zeitgeist – We’re, admittedly, a little late in putting this up – but here‘s (recently-deposed) Russian power-broker/politician, Vladislav Surkov reading Allen Ginsberg (in English!) – “Sunflower Sutra” (the English begins approximately two minutes in) – (thanks too to “Cloudpine” – we should point out, entirely unrelated – for his fantasy Alexander-Rodchenko-inspired Howl cover!)
“No hope Communism/No hope Capitalism” – Here’s another surprising sighting, Gary Silverman’s “I saw the best taxes of my generation..”, [sic], an extended Ginsbergian metaphor in..(of all places) The Financial Times!
So, looking back on last week, birthday week… First, the New York City Howl Festival.
– and its annual Howl group-reading – see here.
and in Seattle, the Splab annual marathon Ginsberg reading (their 12th!) went off, we’re pleased to report – an unqualified success (Paul Nelson, Splab co-founder,’s 1994 interview with Allen (including readings of “The Velocity of Money”, [sic], “Research”, “Steal This Poem” and “Autumn Leaves’), incidentally, may be, usefully, accessed here).
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a new show of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s paintings opens at the George Krevsky Gallery (see here)
and Beat Memories, Allen’s photo exhibit, continues to draw appreciative and enthusiastic crowds.
Speaking of San Francisco – and queerdom, and poetry, and memories – Alysia Abbott’s memoir of her father, poet Steve Abbott – Fairyland, just published by Norton, is well worth checking out. An interview with her on NPR is available here (and her interview with The Atlantic blog, here).
Disturbing up-date on a story that we reported on here some years back – the theft of Robert Lavigne’s paintings.
& the mystery of who or what killed Pablo Neruda (Was it the CIA? Will we ever know?). The plot continues to thicken. For recent developments see here and here