Allen Ginsberg Books

Exploring the composition of a groundbreaking poem, this annotated edition offers insights into Allen Ginsberg's creative process and the societal context of the 1950s. It features personal anecdotes and reflections on writing techniques, providing a deeper understanding of the themes that challenge dehumanization and censorship. Ginsberg's work not only defied obscenity trials but also emerged as a defining voice of its era, making this version a rich resource for readers interested in poetry and social history.

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 1960s, this autobiographical narrative explores the author's experiences across America, providing crucial context to Ginsberg's acclaimed National Book Award-winning poetry. Through personal reflections and vivid storytelling, it captures the cultural and social upheaval of the era, revealing how these influences shaped his literary voice and vision.

"[An] essential Beat masterpiece." --The Village Voice. Perhaps one of the last great dual correspondences of the twentieth century, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg: The Letters reveals not only the process of creation of the two most celebrated members of the Beat Generation, but also the unfolding of a remarkable friendship of immense pathos and spiritual depth. Through this exhilarating exchange of letters, two-thirds of which have never been published before, Kerouac and Ginsberg emerge first and foremost as writers of artistic passion, innovation, and genius. Vivid and enthralling, the letters, which date from their first meeting in 1944 to Kerouac's untimely death in 1969, chronicle the endless struggle, anguish, and sacrifice involved in giving form to their literary visions.

A new edition of Ginsberg's famous poem Kaddish, and other selections.

Here, for the first time, is a volume that gathers the published verse of Allen Ginsberg in its entirety, a half century of brilliant work from one of America's great poets. As the chief figure among the Beats, Ginsberg changed the course of American poetry, liberating it from closed academic forms with the creation of open, vocal, spontaneous, and energetic postmodern verse. Ginsberg's raw tones and attitudes of spiritual liberation also helped catalyze a psychological revolution that has become a permanent part of our cultural heritage, profoundly influencing not only poetry, popular song, and speech but also our view of the world

Presented chronologically, this anthology includes material by Ginsberg's artist friends, explanatory notes and a prefatory essay by the author. Work from the City Lights volume is included, with essays and pamphlets previously published by small presses and some hitherto unpublished material.

Chronologically arranged interviews showcase Allen Ginsberg's candid reflections on his life, work, and significant cultural events from the late 1950s to the mid-1990s. Featuring discussions with notable figures like William F. Buckley and insights on artists such as Cezanne and Whitman, these previously unpublished conversations reveal the passionate voice of a pivotal literary icon, offering a unique perspective on his influence and the era's artistic landscape.

One of the longest relationships between a publisher and a writer, documented in an intimate correspondence spanning their respective careers.