David Amram Remembers Jack Kerouac

November 12, 2017Simon Pettet

[David Amram and Allen Ginsberg with Jack Kerouac and Larry Rivers at a diner –  during the making of Pull My Daisy, 1959 – Photograph by John Cohen]

Continuing our celebration of his 87th birthday

David Amram Remembers Jack Kerouac

This initial piece was originally written in 1969 for Evergreen Review, and published early in 1970 at the request of publisher Barney Rosset as an obituary for Kerouac

I used  to see Jack often at the old Five Spot in the beginning of 1957, when I was working there. I knew he was a writer, and all musicians knew … Read More

Friday’s Weekly Round-Up – 339

October 27, 2017Simon Pettet

[Allen Ginsberg, photographed by  Kiyohide Hori]

Never did get around to mentioning Kiyohide Hori’s photo-show of Allen and of the Howl manuscript that took place (sadly now it’s down) in Japan this past summer

More Japanese news… “the Allen Ginsberg-inspired capsule”? – Some fervid debate in the “Comments” section here – “This is everything Allen Ginsberg stood against. These guys obviously know nothing about Allen Ginsberg or what he was all about. The poor guy must be turning in his grave” – (which elicits the response: “Please enlighten us. He was against materialism, which could be related … Read More

Pattern Poems – 2 (Dylan Thomas)

September 20, 2017Simon Pettet

[Portrait of Dylan Thomas (circa 23 years old) by Augustus John] 

AG; So Dylan Thomas did them even funnier – [Editorial note – “pattern poems” in Vision and Prayer  (1945)] –   He’s got one that (goes)…   “I turn the corner of prayer and. burn/ In a blessing of the sudden/ Sun. In the name of the damned/ I would turn back and run/ To the hidden land/ But the loud sun/ Christens down/ The sky./ I..” –   ( so, there’s just one little bar-line in the middle –  “I’) – “Am found./ O let him/ Scald me and drown/ … Read More

Pattern Poems – 1

September 19, 2017Simon Pettet

AG: And then we have George Herbert  (that we got to.. ) [Allen begins searching in. the anthology] –  (now) where does he begin? – he begins after  (Henry) King... )  – “Easter Wings” – and, the Easter Wings, I guess you know  (or do you?)  that Dylan Thomas wrote things like that? – your friend, Dylan Thomas? – He wrote diamonds  [diamond-shaped poems]. He has..  Dylan Thomas has a series of poems that look like that – ever seen them? – and then, (like “Easter Wings”) – he was actually imitating Herbert – he also had … Read More

Studs Terkel 1959 Radio Interview – Part 1

September 10, 2016admin
Studs Terkel with Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky,WFMT radio studio, Chicago, 1959
Studs Terkel: What did you say about Howard Johnson’s?
 
Gregory Corso: Well, you know, like, it’s almost a mental dictatorship, you know, because you can’t get off the highway. To go to another restaurant or something, you have to keep on the turnpike. And so they’re all similar. And it looks like a big bathroom as soon as you go in. And nothing is moving but the Coca-Cola machines and the cocoa machines, just turning, great symbols turning, great undersea silence.

Studs Terkel: 

… Read More

Dylan Thomas Centenary

October 27, 2014admin

 

[Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)]

October 27 – The Dylan Thomas’ Centenary – One hundred years ago on this day…
Allen Ginsberg-Dylan Thomas. Here’s Allen’s account, “Late April 1952” from Journals, Early Fifties, Early Sixties of a booze-fueled (natch!) brief-but-frustrating encounter. Allen was 26 and Thomas 37. Thomas would be dead by November the following year.. 
 

“Left Dylan Thomas and someone else with a big bruise on right forehead – thin mediocre type – in cab on 6th Avenue, 15 minutes ago. I was in San Remo sitting relaxed towards closing time when they walked in. I only half-recognized him

… Read More

More Vintage Corso

July 6, 2013Simon Pettet

More Vintage Gregory Corso (culled from Michael Minzer/Hal Willner’s two Corso recordings – Die On Me and Lieders) – (We’ve already featured Marianne Faithfull, in collaboration with Gregory, a week or so back).

Here’s Gregory and Allen (and Peter) and Studs Terkel, in January of 1959, in Chicago, on The “Studs Terkel Show”.

Studs Terkel : [in media res] … no, no, but you couldn’t see..

GC: I want to see Al Capone‘s old heritage. I really dig him, you know. I pay homage to him. I mean..

ST: Once upon a time there was an

… Read More

Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)

October 27, 2011admin
[Dylan Thomas 1914-1953]
Dylan Thomas via Kenneth Rexroth? Dylan Thomas via Allen? Dylan Thomas via Bob Dylan? Whichever way it went, Dylan Thomas influenced Beat. Here’s Allen’s account, “Late April 1952” (he was 26 years old!), from Journals, Early Fifties, Early Sixties:

“Left Dylan Thomas and someone else with a big bruise on right forehead – thin mediocre type – in cab on 6th Avenue, 15 minutes ago.

I was in San Remo sitting relaxed towards closing time when they walked in. I only half-recognized him when they came in door & stood next to my seat at
… Read More