Earth Day tomorrow
The recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of experts convened by the United Nations paints a bleak picture.
Here’s a digest from the New York Times
Beat scholar, Franca Bellarsi – “Blake’s Influence on Allen Ginsberg’s Environmental Consciousness”
More Beat Scholarship (from France, from Alexandre Ferrere) – “Bombs, Shapes and Sounds – A Joint Analysis of Gregory Corso’s “Bomb” and “Allen Ginsberg’s “Hum Bom!” – in “The Arts of War and Peace”
Speaking of Beat bombs, not sure if we ever got around to mentioning this (glimpses of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Hirschman, Gregory Corso City Lights) – Ferdinando Vicentini Organi‘s 2022 documentary
“Did Beat Generation Writer William Burroughs Really Write A Graphic Novel?” asks Brian Cronin in CBR (Comic Book Resources) – and proceeds to answer the question – well, yes and no. Burroughs, while in London, and later in New York, had a fruitful collaboration with artist Malcolm McNeil – Ah Puch Is Here (Ah Pook Is Here), an ultimately uncompleted project. McNeil recounts the project in Observed While Falling- Bill Burroughs, Ah Pook and Me (2012) and the complimentary The Lost Art of Ah Pook Is Here – Images from the Graphic Novel. Cronin’s account draws from this and also three interviews with McNeil here, here, and here
Speaking of Burroughs, Burroughs’ exhibition, The Ripper Spirals, remains up, through till April 29 at Semiose in Paris.
“I love New York/I love ballet/Allen Ginsberg’s USA” –
Stephen Duffy (ex-Duran Duran) ‘s band, The Lilac Time, have a new LP coming out – ‘A Makeshift Raft”, the new single, is a sweet catchy tune that features a respectful (life-affirming) Ginsberg shout-out – Listen to it here
Stevan M Weine’s Best Minds (mentioned here last week). We continue to recommend this groundbreaking study (with one slight caveat – the title! – a book with a similar title (and a not so dissimilar subject matter) came out this week – not to mention, Bill Morgan’s wonderful 1986 festschrift and subsequent 2017 transcribed teachings)
If you missed the Chicago symposium, you’ll have another chance to catch Weine speaking on the book – don’t miss it – Tuesday May 2nd (6:30–8:00pm MST) – in this on-line discussion hosted by and at Naropa
& a celebration and remembrance last Saturday of the pioneering gay scholar David Carter (he wrote the definitive book on the Stonewall uprising, as well as editing/compiling Spontaneous Mind, the 2001 collection of Allen’s interviews). It was fittingly held at the Stonewall. Paul Schindler reviews the occasion – here
We join all David’s friends in remembering him fondly, remembering his kindness and devotion.