“The greatest Beat Generation collection in private hands in the world”.
Back in May of 2020, we noted artist Richard Prince‘s extraordinary Beat collection.
The Beat Museum‘s Jerry Cimino writes at length about it, (and about him), this week –
“Up Close and Personal With the Collection of Richard Prince” – Don’t miss it.
From Cimino’s lively and informative text:
“Richard Prince owns a copy of Howl and Other Poems inscribed to Lucien Carr, a City Lights first edition, and so, fittingly, Lucien’s name appears on the dedication page. The inscription reads, “For Lucien, to whom this poem was written, after decades. Love, Allen Ginsberg.” William S. Burroughs also signed this very book. “William Seward Burroughs. Is everybody mad? Christmas 1978,” no doubt a reference to Ginsberg’s description of Naked Lunch in the dedication as “…an endless novel which will drive everybody mad.”
There’s another interesting signed copy of Howl. This one is not a first printing, but an 8th printing from 1959. It is inscribed to Jack Kerouac as follows:
“For Jack, Howl, 1959’s end’s near/ my heart thumps in/ my underwear/on Sunday morn again./ Allen”.”
but these Ginsberg editions.. that’s just the beginning! – read further in Cimino’s account.
(Prince himself spotlights a number of his treasures here and here).
(and see also Geoff Nicholson, from back in 2009, in Bookforum – here).
Updating a little – Check out the video made by Chiara Clemente (Francesco’s daughter) for Prince’s most recent New York City show, “Freaks” (work emerging out of his Hippie Drawings) – here
More Material Wealth response – Bob Rosenthal, Allen’s long-time secretary and author of Straight Around Allen, writes: “I got the new book yesterday and unwrapped it like a piece of candy and was soon completely absorbed reading correspondence I have never read before. The volume is brilliantly laid-out and elegantly produced..the breadth and scope of Allen’s energy are well served. This is a book that I will return to over and over with continued expectation. Thank you (Pat Thomas) for an amazing story”
and Mark William Norby (for The Bay Area Reporter)
and Material Wealth is featured by Variety in their “Best Music Books of 2023” selection (sic) – see here
Book launches forthcoming – Pat Thomas will be joined by Peter Hale, executor at the Ginsberg Estate, for the official West Coast launch of Material Wealth at City Lights on Wednesday, January 24, and at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley, the following day. January 31 sees the East Coast launching at Rizzoli Bookstore, New York, The authors will be joined by Sylvia Reed and Holly George Warren for that occasion.
Ray Bremser – a new book – Domestic Short Story, a limited edition from Water Row Press – see Beatdom – here for more details
& Kenneth Rexroth, poet and critic, polymath and translator, was born on this day. Remembering Kenneth Rexroth – “the Reluctant Father of the Beat Generation” –
see our 2020 posting – here
The Indiana State Library’s Historical Bureau’s profusely-illustrated two-part account of Rexroth’s life and times is also well worth perusing – see here and here – (tho’ note that the D.Sorenson’s photograph of Allen (accredited to us!) is erroneously captioned – that’s Lawrence Ferlinghetti next to Allen, not James Laughlin!)
For an even more detailed account – see Linda Hamalian‘s 1992 biography, A Life of Kenneth Rexroth (tho’ be wary that some have significant qualifications – see here)