Juanita Lieberman-Plimpton, 1985 – photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries / Allen Ginsberg Estate – (Allen’s caption: “Juanita Lieberman had met Peter Orlovsky at Naropa in early 1980’s, was now working in my house as secretary, March 3, 1985 – went on to nice job publishing at Paragon House, signed up Carl Solomon’s Emergency Messages“
Back in January, we featured here, in a post, one of Peter Orlovsky‘s long-time girlfriends, Beverly Isis. Here is another equally important consort – Juanita Lieberman (now Juanita Lieberman-Plimpton)
Here’s a picture of there two of them, Juanita and Beverly (and Anne Waldman) in the Karma Choling parking lot, on the occasion of Peter’s Sukhavati ceremony (June 2nd, 2010)
More photos by Allen of Juanita – here’s Peter and Juanita posing for his camera in 1984
and Juanita in candlelight – 1992
Juanita it was who was responsible (along with Bill Morgan) for editing, in 2006, The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice – First Journals and Poems 1937-1952
Morgan writes:
“In 1984, after I had incessantly extolled the virtues of these revealing diaries, Ginsberg’s literary agent, Andrew Wylie , asked Juanita Lieberman and me to undertake the editing of his journals for publication. At the time Lieberman was dating Peter Orlovsky and worked for Ginsberg in his office, as his secretary’s right-hand. Her discerning faculty for winnowing all but the most salient entries has led to the pleasant readability of this volume.”
Juanita writes:
“(I) will always remember that very pivotal time in my life with Peter and Allen with fond memories – I think back on my time with Peter as wild and exciting and crazy and fun and insane – filled with so much laughter and many tears and much much joy. Peter was such a HUGE and important part of my life and very influential in who I am today – he taught me about love and relationships and life and beauty – I will always be grateful for that – I was so young and deeply in love.”
Where is she now?
“Married for around thirty-five years ( wow, incredible! yikes!) – son just got married last year – where does the time go? – running a business, living in the Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts – life is good and full of surprises – I am lucky and happy.”
and we are happy for you too, dear Juanita!