Friday’s Weekly Round-Up – 345

Allen Ginsberg East Side High Paterson Yearbook Photo c.1940

Matthew Powers loving memories of Allen were first published in 2002 in the premier issue of Heeb and were recently made available – here.

Matthew Powers and Allen Ginsberg

Powers, a gifted and extraordinary journalist, who died in Uganda in 2014, at the way-too-young age of only 39, is a figure who shouldn’t, and will not, be forgotten.

Another perceptive report on Allen in old age (in his latter years),  August Kleinzahler‘s “Lunching With Ginsberg” (from his book, Sallies, Romps, Portraits, and Send-Offs – Selected Prose 2000-2015), has, similarly, recently been put on line and made available – here.

and – Allen Ginsberg on tour – Gregory Stephenson“Passing Through – Allen Ginsberg & Peter Orlovsky in Copenhagen, January, 1983”  – read his riveting account in Empty Mirror.

Allen Ginsberg, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1983 – photo by Lars Hansen

Then there’s  Allen in Dublin, 1993, and Kevin and Howlin and  “that suit”!

“Self portrait on my 70th birthday, in Borsolino hat and cashmere silk-scarf from Milan, and Dublin Thornproof-tweed suit, Oleg Cassini tie from Goodwill shirt from same source, kitchen window mid-day, I stayed home and worked on Selected Poems 1947-’95 after returning from Walker Arts Center reading – Beat exhibition weekend. Monday, June 3, 1996. N.Y – Allen Ginsberg” – (photo c. Allen Ginsberg Estate)

Fifty years ago last Tuesday, Allen got arrested – for a noble and worthy cause – protesting the Vietnam War.

From the New York Times report 

“The police arrested 264 persons, including Dr. Benjamin Spock and the poet Allen Ginsberg, during a demonstration yesterday between 5 A.M. and 6 A.M. by more than 2,500 antidraft, antiwar protesters at the armed forces induction center at 39 Whitehall Street….

Mr. Ginsberg, the bearded beatnik poet, was wearing an orange batik shawl, a huge flowered tie, a rosary and a Buddhist amulet…

There were cymbals on his fingers, of the sort affected by Egyptian belly dancers, and he made a cheerful tinkle as the police hustled him to a van”

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