More Centennial announcements – Kronos Quartet & friends in San Francisco, May 11 at The Chapel
The Kronos Quartet is joined by Andy Cabic (Vetiver), Peter Coyote, Kim Stanley Robinson, Dominique DiPrima, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Eleni Sikelianos, Brontez Purnell, Oliver Ray & No Land and the legendary Ramblin’ Jack Elliott to celebrate Howl and Allen Ginsberg’s 100th Birthday – Music director – Joel Robinow – curated by the indefatigable Jesse Goodman and Peter Hale
and, staying on the West Coast, six days later, at UC Santa Barbara (as part of the Philip Glass upcoming 90th Birthday Celebrations) – Philip Glass and The Poets (featuring music of Philip Glass performed by Timo Andres, readings by Taylor Mac, and special guest appearances by Lucinda Childs and the San Francisco Girls Chorus – Andres and Mac celebrate Glass’ “extraordinary relationships and collaborations with poets”.
“Throughout his long career, Philip Glass has drawn inspiration from poets’ words”, the organizers write, “their lives and the depths of their creative practice. In particular, his friendship with Allen Ginsberg has spawned multiple collaborations. This evening will include previously unreleased recordings of Ginsberg reading his poetry set to some of Glass’ most intimate chamber music. Members of the San Francisco Girls Chorus will be present performing songs by Ginsberg and Leonard Cohen and iconic choreographer and performer Lucinda Childs will perform poetry from Glass and Robert Wilson‘s 1976 opera Einstein on the Beach.
also coming up this month, Thomas Antonic and Tate Swindell spotlight the upcoming release of American Give A Shit! – Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Steven Taylor,Live in Graz, 1980, a limited edition vinyl double album (including an eight-page booklet with previously-unpublished photos by Allen and liner notes by Thomas Antonic.
April 28 (8 p.m.) in Budapest (at Cafe Jederman) Antonic and Swindell will discuss the record and, in company with Viktor A. Bori (piano) and Quetzal Tirado (horns), and Gabor Guycics, read Ginsberg’s poetry.
The following day in Vienna (at Salon Praterstrasse), the duo will again make a Ginsberg presentation (this time, including Swindell reading from his own poetry, (the recently-published Solar Schlagen, (Solar Hits) deftly rendered into German by Antonic)
April 30 finds the two of them in Prague, alongside our good friend Josef Rauvolf and Steven Taylor at Čítárna Unijazz for a vinyl release party (the actual official vinyl release day is “on or around May 15”)
The tour concludes with a presentation at Graz itself at Form Stadtpark – Julia Knass will introduce Antonic and Swindell. They will be joined by writer Günter Eichberger (who was a 21 year-old audience member and witness at the time of this historic reading)
This coming Sunday morning (11-1) at BywayBooks, Brattleboro, Vermont, Bob Rosenthal will be featured in “An Exploration of the life and Legacy of Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation” – “This unique presentation will delve into the life, work, and enduring cultural impact of Allen Ginsberg and the Beat poets, drawing from Rosenthal’s celebrated memoir Straight Around Allen…Through readings, reflection and discussion, Rosenthal will illuminate Ginsberg’s creative process, personal life, and central role within the Beat movement – groundbreakers who reshaped American poetry and countercultural thought..”
For earlier video (from back in 2019) of Bob reading from the book – see here