Allen Ginsberg in San Francisco.

Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American Beat poet born in Paterson, New Jersey. He formed a bridge between the Beat movement of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s, befriending, among others, Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, William S. Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Gregory Corso, Herbert Huncke, Rod McKuen, and Bob Dylan. Allen Ginsberg File links The following pages link to this file: Allen Ginsberg ... Allen Ginsberg File links The following pages link to this file: Allen Ginsberg ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term beat generation was introduced by Jack Kerouac in approximately 1948 to describe his social circle to the novelist John Clellon Holmes (who published an early novel about the beat generation, titled Go, in 1952, along with a manifesto of sorts in the New York Times Magazine: This is... The skyline of Paterson, New Jersey, showing the canyon of the Passaic River in the foreground. ... // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the height of the baby-boom from returning... Hippies (singular hippie or sometimes hippy) were members of the 1960s counterculture movement who adopted a communal or nomadic lifestyle, renounced corporate nationalism and the Vietnam War, embraced aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and/or Native American religious culture, and were otherwise at odds with traditional middle class Western values. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac (March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) was an American novelist, writer, poet, artist, and one of the most prominent members of the Beat Generation. ... Neal Cassady, left, with Jack Kerouac, photograph by Carolyn Cassady. ... William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. ... Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American writer, psychologist, campaigner for psychedelic drug research and use, 60s counterculture icon and computer software designer. ... Gregory Corso (illustration) Gregory Corso (March 26, 1930 – January 17, 2001) was an American poet, the fourth member of the canon of Beat Generation writers (with Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs). ... Huncke on the cover of his anthology. ... Rod McKuen (born April 29, 1933) is an American poet, singer and songwriter. ... Portrait photograph of Bob Dylan taken by Daniel Kramer Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman May 24, 1941) is a highly influential American songwriter, musician, and poet. ...

Overview

Ginsberg's poetry was strongly influenced by modernism, romanticism, the beat and cadence of jazz, and his Kagyu Buddhist practice and Jewish background. He considered himself to have inherited the visionary and homoerotic poetic mantle handed from the English poet and artist William Blake on to Walt Whitman. The power of Ginsberg's verse, its searching, probing focus, its long and lilting lines, as well as its New World exuberance, all echo the continuity of inspiration which he claimed. Other influences included the American poet William Carlos Williams. Bust of Homer, one of the earliest European poets, in the British Museum Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Le Corbusiers Villa Savoye, 1929-30: The modern style is noted for its rigorous geometrical forms. ... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Jazz is a musical art form originally characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ... The Kagyu (Wylie transliteration: Bka-brgyud) school (known as the Oral Lineage and the Spotless Practice Lineage school) is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being Nyingma (Rnying-ma), Sakya (Sa-skya), and Gelug (Dge-lugs). ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived between approximately 566 and 486 BCE. Originating in India, Buddhism gradually spread throughout Asia to Central Asia... The word Jew (Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity; and often a combination of these attributes. ... Homoeroticism refers to same-sex love and desire, most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the visual arts and literature. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, painter and printmaker, or Author & Printer, as he signed many of his books. ... Walt Whitman Walt Whitman, age 37, frontispiece to Leaves of Grass, Fulton St. ... William Carlos Williams William Carlos Williams (sometimes known as WCW) (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963), was an American poet closely associated with Modernism. ...

Ginsberg's principal work, "Howl", is well-known to many for its opening line: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness". It was considered scandalous at the time of publication due to the rawness of the language, which is frequently explicit. Shortly after its 1956 publication by San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore, it was banned for obscenity. The ban became a cause célèbre among defenders of the First Amendment, and was later lifted after judge Clayton W. Horn, declared the poem to possess redeeming social importance. Ginsberg's leftist and generally anti-establishment politics attracted the attention of the FBI, who regarded Ginsberg as a major security threat. Howl and Other Poems was published in the fall of 1956 as number four in the Pocket Poets Series from City Lights Books Howl is a poem by Allen Ginsberg that was first performed in 1955 in the Six Gallery in San Francisco. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The City Lights Bookstore, in the North Beach section of San Francisco, California, is an independent bookstore specializing in poetry and a small press publisher of fiction, essays, memoirs, translations, poetry, and books on social and political issues. ... A cause célèbre (of which the plural is causes célèbres) is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and/or heated public debate. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

It is of some interest to note that the second part of Howl was inspired and written primarily during a peyote vision. Ginsberg attempted a number of poems while under the influence of various drugs, including LSD. This practice was a specific manifestation of his more general experimental approach. He also "wrote" poems by reciting them into tape recorders and transcribing the results and, after being encouraged by Chögyam Trungpa (see below), began extemporaneous composition on stage. Binomial name Lophophora williamsii (Lem. ... D-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, commonly called acid, LSD, or LSD-25, is a powerful semisynthetic psychedelic drug. ... Chögyam Trungpa (1940 - April 4, 1987) was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar, teacher and artist. ...

In his writing and in his life Ginsberg strove for freedom and authenticity. Many of his poems are extremely honest and direct. For example, in "Kaddish" he describes his mother's madness in unflinching terms. In "Many Loves" he describes his first sexual contact with Neal Cassady, a lover and friend. Some of his later poems focus on his relationship with Peter Orlovsky, his lifetime lover to whom he dedicated Kaddish and Other Poems. Neal Cassady, left, with Jack Kerouac, photograph by Carolyn Cassady. ... Peter Orlovsky (born July 8, 1933) is an American poet best known for being the lover of Beat Generation poet Allen Ginsberg. ...

Photo of Allen Ginsberg at Airport Frankfurt, Germany

His spiritual journey began early on with spontaneous visions, and continued with an early trip to India and a chance encounter on a New York City street (they both tried to catch the same cab) with Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master of the Vajrayana school, who became his friend and life-long teacher. The famous indian writer and poet Sunil Gangopadhyay is one of his Indian friends. Sunil mentioned about Ginsberg in his book "Chhobir Deshe Kobitar Deshe"(Country of Pictures and Poetry). Image File history File links *Description: Allen Ginsberg (on the left) at Frankfurt Airport Germany 1978 *Source: Photo made by Ludwig Urning File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links *Description: Allen Ginsberg (on the left) at Frankfurt Airport Germany 1978 *Source: Photo made by Ludwig Urning File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... Sunil Gangopadhyay was born on September 7, 1934 at Faridpur in what is now Bangladesh. ...

Allen Ginsberg reciting poetry at a NAMBLA gathering.

In his political life he was an iconoclast, using his wit and humor to militate for the cause of others' personal freedom, often at significant risk to himself. In 1994, when the International Lesbian and Gay Association successfully banished all connections to the North American Man-Boy Love Association in order to gain consultative status in the United Nations, Ginsberg opposed (together with modern gay rights founder Harry Hay). He said that he supported NAMBLA's right to free speech because the hysteria over pederasty reminded him of the hysteria over homosexuality itself while he was growing up. Allen Ginsberg at a NAMBLA gathering File links The following pages link to this file: Allen Ginsberg ... Allen Ginsberg at a NAMBLA gathering File links The following pages link to this file: Allen Ginsberg ... The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is a U.S.-based group that calls for the elimination of age-based restrictions on sexual behavior. ... An iconoclast originally referred to a person who destroyed icons, that is, sacred paintings or sculpture. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) is an international organization bringing together more than 400 lesbian and gay groups from around the world. ... A NAMBLA logo. ... Harry Hay (April 7, 1912 - October 24, 2002) was a leader of the gay rights movement in the United States. ... Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ...

Ginsberg helped found the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, a school founded by Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac (March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969) was an American novelist, writer, poet, artist, and one of the most prominent members of the Beat Generation. ... Naropa University is a private, liberal arts university in Boulder, Colorado, which was founded in 1974 by Chogyam Trungpa. ... Pearl Street Mall in Downtown Boulder Boulder (40°1′ N 105°16′ W, MST) is a city located in Boulder County, Colorado, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,673. ...

In 1993, the French Minister of Culture awarded him with the medal of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. A Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, sometimes called a Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres (in English, Knight [of the Order] of Arts and Letters) is a distinction awarded by the Minister of Culture of France in recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts. ...

List of works

• Howl and Other Poems (1956)
• Kaddish and Other Poems (1961)
• Reality Sandwiches (1963)
• The Yage Letters (1963) - with William S. Burroughs
• Planet News (1968)
• The Gates of Wrath: Rhymed Poems 1948-1951 (1972)
• The Fall of America: Poems of These States (1973)
• Iron Horse (1974)
• Mind Breaths (1978)
• Plutonian Ode: Poems 1977-1980 (1982)
• Collected Poems: 1947-1980 (1984)
• White Shroud Poems: 1980-1985 (1986)
• Cosmopolitan Greetings Poems: 1986-1993 (1994)
• Howl Annotated (1995)
• Iluminated Poems (1996)
• Selected Poems: 1947-1995 (1996)
• Death and Fame: Poems 1993-1997 (1999)

1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... William S. Burroughs William Seward Burroughs (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Quotes

• "Our goal was to save the planet and alter human consciousness. That will take a long time, if it happens at all."

• "Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does."

• "Pot is fun."

• "The only thing that can save the world is the reclaiming of the awareness of the world. That's what poetry does."

• "Master thyself and others will follow."

External links

• Allen Ginsberg
• "Ginsberg's Celestial Homework" Specialized Reading List for "Literary History of the Beat Generation," a course taught by Allen Ginsberg at Naropa Institute during the summer of 1977.
• "The clearing house for all things Ginsberg"
• On Allen Ginsberg by Ralph Lichtensteiger
• "The Great Marijuana Hoax -- Allen Ginsberg"(the first half of which was written on marijuana)
• NAMBLA Ginsberg Page
• allenginsberg.org | MP3 files and much more
• Naropa Audio Archives: Allen Ginsberg class (August 6th, 1976) Streaming audio and 64 kbit/s MP3 ZIP!
• Naropa Audio Archives: Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg reading, including Howl (August 9th, 1975) Streaming audio and 64 kbit/s MP3 ZIP!

Further Reading

• Miles, Barry. Ginsberg: A Biography. London: Virgin Publishing Ltd. (2001), paperback, 628 pages, ISBN 0753504863
• Schumacher, Michael (edt.). Family Business: Selected Letters Between a Father and Son. Bloomsbury (2002), paperback, 448 pages, ISBN 1582342164
• Schumacher, Michael. Dharma Lion: A Biography of Allen Ginsberg. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994.