The Letters of Allen Ginsberg - Hardcover

Ginsberg, Allen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306814633 ISBN 13: 9780306814631

Publisher: Da Capo Pr, 2008

Synopsis

Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) was one of twentieth-century literatures most prolific letter-writers. This definitive volume showcases his correspondence with some of the most original and interesting artists of his time, including Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Neal Cassady, Lionel Trilling, Charles Olson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Philip Whalen, Peter Orlovsky, Philip Glass, Arthur Miller, Ken Kesey, and hundreds of others. Through his letter writing, Ginsberg coordinated the efforts of his literary circle and kept everyone informed about what everyone else was doing. He also preached the gospel of the Beat movement by addressing political and social issues in countless letters to publishers, editors, and the news media, devising an entirely new way to educate readers and disseminate information. Drawing from numerous sources, this collection is both a riveting life in letters and an intimate guide to understanding an entire creative generation.

About this title

Review:

Electric Review, September/October 2008 "The art of Ginsberg's letters is captured in stunning form...Indispensable to all serious students of literature...A book that embraces the wonders of communication, each selection reveling in the sheer excitement of the connection...Followers of the Beat Generation will find countless hours of enjoyment here." Reference & Research Book News, November 2008 "From topics as personal as a recommendation of medicine for dysentery to Kerouac, to his excitement at discovering the painter Francis Bacon, to frank comments on his own work and that of others, the letters are captivating. Through them we see not only into the mind of a seminal poet but also into the society that shaped him." Curled Up with a Good Book, 10/08 "Since [Ginsberg's] friends and correspondents included some of the great figures of his times, this epistolary collection has a deep footprint...If you want to understand the Beat generation, the hippies, the intellectual drug scene, the intellectual gay scene and poetry, this is a must-read." InfoDad.com, 10/30/08 "To Ginsberg fans and scholars, his letters provide insight into his personality, his creative process, and his works."

About the Author:

In 1956, Allen Ginsberg published "Howl," one of the most widely read and translated poems of the twentieth century. Ginsberg was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and cofounder of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa Institute.Bill Morgan, Allen Ginsberg's literary archivist for many years, is the author of a biography of Ginsberg and editor of The Book of Martyrdom and Artifice, Ginsberg's early journals. He lives in New York City.

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Pr
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0306814633
• ISBN 13: 9780306814631
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 468
• Editor: Morgan Bill