Poems For The Nation – A Collection of Contemporary Political Poems by Allen Ginsberg
(with editorial assistance from Andy Clausen and Eliot Katz) was published posthumously by Seven Stories Press in 2000. A quarter of a century on, the notion of a gathering of “contemporary political poems” seems ever more pertinent.
“The publishers of this collection note:
“Throughout the last year and a half of his life, Allen Ginsberg phoned many of his poet friends to ask if they had any social verses opposing America’s rightwing drift or otherwise speaking their current political minds. Poems for the Nation presents the perceptive and visionary poems that Ginsberg collected (with selections based on his notes), and also includes writings from contributors to “Planet News,“ an historic tribute to Allen Ginsberg that was held at New York City’s St. John the Divine Cathedral in May 1998.”
Among the poets included – Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Diane di Prima, Anne Waldman, Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg, Janine Pommy Vega, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Amiri Baraka, Antler, Jayne Cortez…
From the book’s introduction:
(We’re reading it now, of course, unavoidably, through the prism of current times)
“After discussing the need for an assemblage of currently politically aware poetry with the editors of The Nation, one of his favorite sources of political analysis and information,
The Nation asked Allen to edit a small anthology for its pages. With a Congress dominated by the Gingrich-led Republican Right and a centrist President erasing many of the Democratic Party’s liberal traditions. Allen felt a political poetry issue might put fairness, compassion, and progressive political vision back into the national discussion. He also thought these verses might energize The Nation‘s poetry selections.
Although the project was incomplete at the time of his death, in April, 1997, Allen had spent much time collecting, selecting, and even editing poems. Those he wished to include were placed in a file folder marked “poems to use”. For some poets several pieces remained under consideration in the “poems to use” folder, from which (he) was going to pick one. At Bob Rosenthal‘s request, poets Andy Clausen and Eliot Katz made these selections, working with (his) detailed notes, recalling personal conversations with (him) about this project (including an hours-long kitchen-table discussion between Allen and Andy paging through every submission received), and their own editorial judgement in a few cases where (his) final preference wasn’t clear. We all then discussed which other pieces could best fill out this volume.
Several of the poems in this volume were revised based on Allen’s editing suggestions…If (he) had remained alive to complete the project, he may very well have continued asking writers he liked for additional work. While some of (his) favorite contemporary poets are included, this book is not a collection of Allen’s favorite poets or poems. It is a volume filled with poems Allen wanted published because he believed they could inspire an increased social consciousness for the new millennium.
While The Nation, after Allen’s death, decided against publishing, we are thankful to the Open Media Pamphlet Series for printing the work Allen compiled. (He) admired Open Media’s political contributions from their beginnings during the ’91 Gulf War. In late 1996 he did a benefit reading for Open Media in his last performance at Columbia University, so it is fitting that this volume finds its home in the Pamphlet Series.”
continuing tomorrow