Merchandise, o merchandise, it is, on one level, especially regarding Allen, arguably, crass.
But it is, on the other hand, creative and essential. With Allen no longer among us, drumming up a cash flow and then generously dispensing it, with his appearances and his readings, there are few, very few, ways we can sustain ourselves. Since February 2009 here on the Project (and even before that, in the decade following Allen’s death) we here at the Allen Ginsberg Estate have attempted to energetically uphold his vital voice, champion his cause, maintain his legacy.
So all those mugs and t-shirts (and books!) that you buy from us – It really does help!
We already have an extensive body of merchandise – see here and here. Plans for exciting additions to this gathering are afoot, but we need your support
William Burroughs remembered last week and now early word on Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Queer, soon to be premiered at the Venice Film Festival (the festival begins the 28th of August)
Daniel Craig is cast as “Lee”, the eponymous Burroughs figure, Drew Starkey, the object of infatuation, “Allerton”. Omar Apollo, a recent addition to the cast. We can’t wait!
and Herbert Huncke, we remembered him too – a beautiful boxed-collection, the Huncke Festschrift Project has just been released by VJ Eaton and Counter Culture Chronicles in The Hague consisting of a 98-page book, fully illustrated, with contributions by Huncke, Ben Shafer, Jerome Poynton, Raymond Foye, Ann Charters, Gordon Ball, Bobby Yarra, and many others.
Included in the box are two tapes, with interviews and stories, and 25 postcards with, so-far-unpublished, photos of Huncke and his friends.
The edition is limited (so, order soon!). The boxed-set was produced in an edition of 75 numbered copies
A sweet note – Terry Berkson on Allen Ginsberg’s piano
Seemingly unfamiliar with his oeuvre, he wonders “if the bard wrote songs as well as poetry”. He certainly did, Terry. And “Howl”, incidentally, is not discord or cacophony, but very much (see especially “Footnote to Howl“) (secular) liturgical music.