More Centennial news – Allen Ginsberg – Friendship and Community . Opening May 1st, the University of Toronto showcases selections from its exemplary Ginsberg photo collection, (housed and presented in its Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library) as part of the city-wide Contact Photography Festival
May 28 – Indiana University – a curated Ginsberg-film evening – “You Probably Haven’t Seen This Before ” – Curator, Joan Hawkins: “It’s such a great series, and what we particularly like about it for this Ginsberg extravaganza is that, unlike contemporary representations of the Beats and the 50s-60s, these films actually are from that era – and plunge us into the zeitgeist of Beatdom – what were people actually like?/ what did they wear?/ what did they buy? / what did they care about? (As opposed to perhaps the romantic or over-simplified picture that popular culture gives us.)”
More films (and a more extensive film program) in June at the Anthology Film Archives in New York (June 6-11)
May 23 sees the Ginsberg-focused Beat Studies Association panels at the annual American Literature Association conference in Chicago. Participants include Erik Mortenson, Kurt Hemmer Camila Oliveira Querino, Stevan Weine, Nina Zivancevic, Marc Olmsted.. More on that anon.
and for more on the Ginsberg Centennial – see here
speaking of William Blake (and we were – see above – Camila Oliveira Querino),
Doug Nicholls of the Blake Cottage Trust (custodians of Blake’s Felpham Cottage – new home to the Ginsberg parlor organ), gave a talk there last week, giving the latest, an update on the restoration of this sacred spot – see here
& some other news:
Remembering Jami Cassady (Jami Cassady Ratto (1950-2026), daughter of Carolyn and Neal), who passed away earlier this year (Jan 16, a few weeks before celebrations of her father’s Centennial). There will be a memorial/celebration of her life tomorrow (Saturday) – see here – 12 pm, at Vasona Lake County Park, Los Gatos
Burroughs-in-London alert – Interzone Burroughs + the Beats – a gathering this coming September – see here
& opening tonight Paris at The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (and up through till mid-July) – Brion Gysin – Brion Gysin – The Last Museum, a momentous event – Full details – here