In the week of 25 years since Allen’s passing, two new German editions of his work (one poetry, one prose) edited by Michael Kellner)
Ginsberg Prosa – The prose is available in German for the first time (“Die Prosa liegt erstmals auf Deutsch vor”), translated and presented with an afterword by Michael Kellner (“übersetzt und mit einem Nachwort versehen von Michael Kellner‘), and with previously unpublished photos (mit bislang unveröffentlichten Fotos”)
The publishers go on to note – “Ginsberg hat keine Autobiographie veröffentlicht in der Überzeugung, dass sein Werk alles Wesentliche enthält” ( Ginsberg did not publish an autobiography, believing that his work contains all that is essential) – “Michael Kellner, der Allen Ginsberg selbst kannte, hat die wichtigsten Prosatexte in diesem Band zusammengestellt” (Michael Kellner, who knew Allen Ginsberg personally, has compiled the most significant prose texts for this volume) “Das vielschichtige Porträt, das sich so zusammensetzt, kann nicht alle Lebenswidersprüche auflösen, aber dem bisherigen Bild neue Facetten hinzufügen. Vor allem zeigt es, wie sehr es sich lohnt, sich neu mit Ginsberg und seinem Werk zu beschäftigen” (“The multi-layered portrait that is put together in this way cannot resolve all of life’s contradictions, but it can add new facets to the previous picture. Above all, it shows how worthwhile it is to take a fresh look at Ginsberg and his outstanding work)”
Lyrik Poetry features translations by Kellner, plus
Carolin Callies, Nora Gomringer, Alexander Graeff, Durs Grünbein, Caroline Hartge, Jonis Hartmann, Stefan Hyner, Anja Kampmann, Odile Kennel, Sibylle Klefinghaus, Georg Leß, Hans-Ulrich Möhring, Arne Rautenberg, Monika Rinck, Jürgen Schmidt, Clemens J. Setz, Michelle Steinbeck, Anke Stelling, Sibylla Vričić Hausmann and Ron Winkler.
read a review (auf Deutsch – in German) here (from the Wiener Zeitung)
Michael Kellner is interviewed (also in German) about the books – see here and here
Noting also Michael Farin‘s radio play Die wilden Augen! Die heiligen Schreie! (“The wild eyes! The holy yells!”) coming off these translations – with music by Alexander Hacke and a stellar small group of actors – “Lyrik und Prosa verweben sich ineinander, Literatur und Biografie. Es ist eine heftige Jagd durch Ginsbergs Werk und Gedankenwelt ” ((“Poetry and prose interweave, literature and biography. It’s a fierce hunt through Ginsberg’s work and mind”), writes Stefan Fischer in Sueddeutsche Zeitung)
Check out “Howl” in German translation – here
from CMC (Hungary) – Poems in the Noise EP – “The Shrouded Stranger”
More of Wang Ping‘s extraordinary filmed conversations with Gary Snyder – All Roads to Poetry – Koan with Master Snyder – “What is poetry? Why do we want to read, sing and write it? What mysterious force takes us there? – A conversation with Gary Snyder about paths people from different ages, areas, cultures take to become poets, and why” –
See previous examples of their interaction here
A new Anne Waldman volume – Bard Kinetic – is announced (and will be available early next year)
Allen’s American Sentences – We know Paul E Nelson has been at the forefront of drawing attention to this significant form. Here’s a recent tweak on that – Archana Sridhar‘s Indian-American Sentences, just published by Ethel Zine and Micro Press
Simon Warner on his Substack recollects 25 years have gone by
The anniversary today (it’ll be 50 years next year) of the death of Picasso
Notice (from Simon Warner too) on the Hank O’Neal Ginsberg collection (see above)
The Town and the City Festival in Lowell starts today (continuing tomorrow)
Speaking of Kerouac – (we were?) – American Joyride – Kurt Hemmer & Tom Knoff‘s “100 Lines For The Kerouac Centenary” is available for viewing – here
John Clellon Holmes‘ Gone In October is being reprinted
and here‘s another glimpse of Kerouac – Allen on Kerouac (from back in 1970)