-
19th Feb 2009A Picture of My Mind Moving: A Tribute to Allen Ginsberg
An evening as part of Jewish Book Week in celebration of the Beat Generation's visionary poet in residence -
He has been hailed as "Walt Whitman's true successor" and "the most famous poet on the planet". His work has been lauded and lambasted and even impounded by customs. From the impassioned yearining of "Howl" to "Kaddish", the reconfigured lament for his mother, Ginsberg was continually controversial, revelling in extremes, fusing the sacred and the profane, extolling the liberatory power of narcotics and the sanctity of monasteries in the same syncopated breath, all the while attempting to "liberate America from itself".The event was chaired by Shaun Levin, editor of Chroma and featured discussion and memories of Ginsberg from poet Michael Horovitz and biographer Barry Miles.
Actor Karl Theobold read some of Ginsberg's work.
Nic Fearon-Low and Rosalie Jorda conducted interviews with Barry Miles and Michael Horovitz which can be found here.