Section:GDN TW PaGe:10 Edition Date:110224 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 23/2/2011 18:07 cYanmaGentaYellowblack 10 W from thosewhoknew himwell the world’ counter-cultural revolutions ofthe atomic age. It helpedjump-startthe intent onexploding theanxietiesof emotionally andsexually explicit and poem wasanincantatory epic– bombshell wasHowl itself. Ginsberg’s bomshell”. He wasright, butreally, the dicted thenight would bea“poetickall Snyderrunning out.ThepoetGary pre- anaggingwith sensethat time was a manapproaching his 30th birthday really like? in anew fi of 1950sAmerica,anevent celebrated like abombshellinthe staidworld ’s poemHowl landed It’s more since thanhalfacentury wake up wake a jobto ‘We have 24.02.11 TheGuardian unpublished poet, 1955, hewasafretful, Franciscoin San reading Six Gallery performed at the hen AllenGinsberg lm. Butwhat was the poet Hermione Hoby characters”. There will beevencharacters”. more There will their adolescent self-image onthe Joyce Johnson says below, “fashioned Road. Therearemany peoplewho, as fi were famously and NealCassady relationships between him,Ginsberg was andthecharged Jack begreater.”added: “Let “Jack” greatest poetinAmerica.”Thenhe he wroteinhisjournal:“Iamthe reading,months aftertheSixGallery He certainlythought hecouldbe.Six American writer of thelastcentury. as thevoice Generation. oftheBeat next decadeandits author washailed ctionalised inKerouac’s novel OnThe He may have beenthemostimportant hears

late 1950s New York, David Amram, camera) and to Corso (back Kerouac, Gregory Rivers, Jack luminaries Larry left) right) with Ginsberg (on fellow Beat (from (from the Six Gallery reading certainly makethe SixGallery throughout Go!” and shouting Go! “Go! Kerouac passing roundjugsofwine sound dangerous. Theaccounts of power supportbases”.He makes it tutions andownership systemsand andacademiesinsti- and navies of Americaandits supporting armies had beenhurledagainsttheharshwall ,with “a humanvoice andbody mously sympathetic Ginsberg. Franco asanuncannilygood andenor- subsequent obscenity James trial,with ofthepoemand Howl tellsthestory brought tothescreen:newfi of themnow that Ginsberg isbeing The poet Michael McClure wrote that wrotethat The poetMichaelMcClure lm

PHOTOGRAPH JOHN COHEN/GETTY IMAGES was hisextraordinary generosity: publicised the eyes ofthe public.Less trial madeGinsberg aradical fi and ideasinhisown words.” and beallowed toexpress histhoughts should berealintreating hissubject the poemwasnotobscene:“An author Clayton WHorn eventually that ruled Howl’s worth, literary andJudge standtoarguetook tothewitness content. Aseriesofcritics andeditors based onthepoem’s homosexual publisher, Ferlinghetti, Lawrence trial wasbrought againstHowl’s sounded criminal.In1957, anobscenity it soundecstatic. Butforsome,it Nonetheless, andtohisdelight, the gure in Jack Kerouac, with whom she had a when she was to He introduced 16. her andeditorwho A writer metGinsberg Joyce Johnson remember theirfriend. some ofthosewhowere closesttohim of namesandrelationships. Here, invokingabout himwithout awelter who knewhimseemsabletospeak connecting peoplelives on–noone good andkindsoul.Hiszealfor sensibility coexisted aprofoundly with sent tothosewhoneededit. Aradical ensuringwith hismoneywould be deathbed in1997hebusiedhimself recallthat whenhewasonhis friends angry, passionate poem andhe thateverything waswrong, an itin 56or57 wasanindictment of over time, forallthosepeople,but the audience.Howl becameanelegy established akindofintimacy with I thought hewasriveting andthat he timeIsaw him, he reallywas.Every Village.in theEast He wasriveting, winter of57, insomelittle coff read Howl, it musthave beeninthe “I guessthefi CircleCritics award in1983. , wonaNational Book aff love relationship that hecalled hisgreatest air. of Kerouac, memoir Her rst timeIheard Allen The Guardian ee shop →

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Section:GDN TW PaGe:11 Edition Date:110224 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 23/2/2011 17:33 23/2/2011 at Sent Zone: Edition:01 Date:110224 Edition PaGe:11 TW Section:GDN cYan maGenta Yellow black Section:GDN TW PaGe:12 Edition Date:110224 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 23/2/2011 18:06 cYanmaGentaYellowblack 12 24.02.11 no onelike that.” about that, you know? There’s been hewouldvoice. write Because apoem ways, Ireallyhave missedAllen’s unfolded hereinvariousdistressing died andthepolitical situation has generosity ofspirit. Ever sincehe tremendous intelligence andareal he kept going. Ijustthinkofhisterrifi thing strong always very inhimand perished, butIguesstherewassome- was sodiffi sexual identity at atimewhenthat a childandhewasworking outhis extremely terriblecircumstances as always outthere.He survived didn’t wallhimselfoff but hewasalways accessible,he published. work else’s andeverybody work publishers’ offi him running allaroundtown, tovarious promotion; it wasagift.Iremember light. He hadanatural instinctfor been happy totake someofthelime- themediaandhewoulddeal with have goodalways senseofhow hadavery to if Allenwere here[intheUS]. Allen for Jack would have beenmuchbetter came out.Ithinkthat wholeexperience during whenOnTheRoad thefallof57 shirt.’ Therestishistory. counter inared-and-black-checked Village,Greenwich I’llbewaiting at the come down totheHoward Johnsons in ‘Hi, Ihearyou’re reallynice,ifyou handed methephoneandJack said: it wasreallyablinddate.So Allen wantssaid: ‘Someone tospeakyou.’ Jack calleduponthephoneandAllen meet me.Onenight, whileIwasvisiting, days –so he decidedthat Jack should apartment –noteasytofi he knewthat Iwasagirlwhohadan meet him.Allensaw that Iwasalone, sented itself Idefi Jack, sowhentheopportunity pre- attractive andengaging abouthim. ways. Therewassomething very but hecouldmodulate it inallsortsof Allen washisvoice. Itmellow wasvery ← TheGuardian He defi Allen wasactuallyaway inParis I’d beenhearing agreat dealabout One thing Ialways loved about was like fi arevolutionary nitely becameapublicfi cult. He easilycouldhave ces, trying toget his ces, trying nitely wanted to at all–he was nd inthose rebrand. gure, c, I hadnoexperience ofgay people, or about himwasstrange, except theart. “I was20whenwe metandeverything for 20years. accompanist andcollaborator A musicianwho was Ginsberg’s Steven Taylor goes.” history he wasarockstarasfarliterary wasn’t until years later that Irealised real gentle soul,never selfi world orwhat? cops were fans.Imean,isthisagreat Allen andasked forhisautograph: the the streetforthreemiles–theysaw at theparty–we hadcarsupanddown clever guy. Whenthepoliceshowed up me abiglaugh–hewassuchfunny, he knewbetter thanthat butthat gave a nodandsays: ‘Chasin’ women.’ Well, happened andhegives and meawink his right Isay what leg,oncrutches. Allen showed thisbigcaston upwith huge partyin1973,Iforget theexcuse. – how many kidsget thisstory? Sullivan Showhotel roomaftertheEd turning ontopotinthe theBeatles here’s Dylan AllenGinsberg andBob pot?”’ He wassoexcited to tellme:so Cassady’s son–whaddyamean“what’s gave methislooklike, ‘aren’t you Neal And Allenlooked socrestfallen. He smoke pot!’AndIsay: ‘What’s pot?’ conspiratorially Beatles andgoes: ‘The want somedirt?’He looksbothways ‘Johnny! D’you wannascoop? You coff can imagine.I’m sitting acrossthe kinda aninteresting childhood,asyou wasinandout.Itand everybody was andJack [Kerouac]California andAllen mywith parents inthehouse I was14andahuge fan.Iwasliving hadjusthit theBeatles [theUS]1964, – was morelike anuncle.Irememberin “I callhimmy secondfather, buthe his life. with himall friends and remained musician who grew uparoundGinsberg Neal andCarolyn Cassady’s sonisa John Cassady Allen wasalwayskindanda very One timemy motherthrewthis ee table from Allenandhegoes:ee tablefrom sh at all.It was lost’ in hislife biggest thing because the become huge had to did together so what they Kerouac and he found mother but ‘He lost his in 1963 in culture: Ginsberg of thecounter The prophet have like afriend that whoisso wise you allmine.”How great isthat? To You tellmeallyour secretsandI’lltell hesaid:‘Let’sfriends, make avow. on vows. on,afterwe became Early he wastheoriginalhipster. college-boy gossip, butwe didn’t; this kindofmixstreetjive and generation assumedthat we invented father buthespoke asIdid.My He sour cream. Chinese from yesterday, somerice, lunchwould besomeboiledeggs So of therefrigerator ontothetable. and he’d emptytheentire contents and he’d say: ‘OK, let’s make lunch’, was allnewtome.I’d go tohishouse Sidebohemia;thatof theLower East Russian Jewishpeople,ortheslums He wanted intimacy; hewasbig cabbage, alittle caviar, alittle was olderthanmy

PHOTOGRAPH ALLEN GINSBERG/CORBIS people –hewasar really likes tohang famous outwith expression “starfucker”, someone who famous. There’s thisAmerican I happening?’ tosay ‘I’m here!What’s everybody was take outhisphonebookandcall he didwhenwe arrived anywhere about connecting people.Thefi him topublish.He wassortofobsessive that’s why around hepushedeveryone be earth-moving, asbigtheuniverse, be thembeing writers together, it hadto thing inhislifewaslost.It couldn’t just had tobecomehuge becausethebiggest Kerouac andsowhat theydidtogether what you about your feelings, darling, tellme and,‘Nobodywantswindow!’ tohear your eye like you’re looking througha ‘It’s easierthanyou think!Just lookout boy, didIget aneducation. He’d say: him.I’dfrom always beenawriter but, hours andhours. talk to. We would talkforhoursand generous andthat you canactually and patient andaccomplished on alotofpeople.” I feellike he’s inme.He hadthat eff day,every Ihearhisvoiceday. every osity oftheguy. Ifeellike I’m him with I justhadthisgreat senseofthegener- tremendous good humour. he’dwith readilyacknowledgethat He losthismotherbuthefound I learnedatremendousamount I waskindofelated whenhedied; see !’ think heliked being eal starfucker. And rst thing ect to wake uptheworld toitself.” experience, he said,we have thisjob forget the takingdo with car support: ourfi was calling roundtoseewhoneeded When hewasdying of hisfriends. and,beyondfriends that, thefamily was agreat, loyal championofhis took somany him.Heothers with – butmywasalways that view he took upalotofattention, alotofspace there wasalotofjealousybecausehe people saw himasthis egomaniac – he wasfullyusedinthislifetime.Some Clinton, Ithink wanting tobeof service. the endofhislifehewaswriting toBill he triedtotellKissinger what todo. At Kissingerdreams aboutHenry inwhich action. Irememberhimhaving these would almostbeamessianiccallto reverberates beyond itself. time andplacesituation that then this ability to plugyou into thiswhole But Howl isstillatimebomb, it still has that it hadtocome accidentally almost. but saidhecouldn’t doit deliberately, wanting towrite aHowl forthe80s, he wasdoing allalong. He talked about and sing –andhedid,that’s Dylan toldhimtogo outonthestreet to have albumstheway Dylandidand the fi was suchagroupie,healways in Dylan]andAllen tour headedby Bob Thunder Revue [the1975/6 US concert Naropa’s ourbaby. yes, he’s my spiritual husbandand this schoolwhichhadfl about thesamethings, we’d founded were onthesametrajectories, we cared seemed toofar-fetched.Ididfeelwe times whenthat cameup, butit just sotherewerehis spiritual a few wife, a motherforchildandhecalledme it wasmoreofaspiritual network. He would network, butinthebestsense: people were eager him. toconnectwith his ability tomake connectionsand Mick Jagger joining in.You always felt balcony chanting HareKrishnaand fair andmy lastimage wasAllenonthe energy. Iremember create aculture, great forhim.Wherever he’d go he’d my thecellphonewould have God, been needing tobeuponthelatest issues– directions simultaneously, constantly “He wasalways operating inabout10 until hediedin1997. in1974.Trungpa She Ginsberg knew arts college, andChögyam with Ginsberg University, aBuddhist-inspired liberal A fellow poet, Waldman setupNaropa Anne Waldman When hetookpsychedelics, thetrip We travelled together ontheRolling He waslooking at onepoint for Howl isouton general released rst row. Irememberhimwanting from tomorrow. human nal conversation hadto he hadphenomenal and thefi e ofpeople.Don’t this partyinMay- ourished. So, rst-person sort ofwhat

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I totally rock S if shekeeps onrefusing ourhelp. Isaid destroy LFWhasachieved everything Middleton andhow shecouldeasily we aredesperately worried aboutKate rocks butit hasaserioussidebecause a colostomy bag. Plum Sykes with hadtoimprovise fi to dieforfabulousness,theglycerine- liquid collection,whichwasliterally to ChristopherKane’s amazing new so inspiring Chanel aboutfashion,from kind ofencapsulate that everything is explained that Anna’s used tissues just like babes, andVivienne sweetly very saw it mewith hewaslike, what areyou permanently onshow. AndwhenDave apparently, iftheypromisetokeep it which heisgoing todonate toMoMA collection and hehasthislegendary better thananyone, even MarioTestino, and AnnasaidIheldtheusedtissue could easilyhave asked StellaorAlexa, what anincrediblehonourwhenshe used tissue andwould Ilikefor trying toholdher relaunched themidi,butfullmarks happened inthemiddleeastsinceshe what apity Ididnotmention what has they LOVED, andAnnaWintour said at lastfashionwasbeing recognised, And thenit wassoemotionalbecause fashion”, jobdone,fullstop, endof. society eg“Iampassionate about if shekeeps o d lled dressessoldoutinsecondsand t the fi estroy every he fi and Tamara and Tamara went excuse me,the

So being afashionambassador So totally IwasfairlyOMG–me? –because So Diary Sa boots shou Sam, how cleverSam, towear that dear boots shouldbethefi at LFW Anya wen Anya went loving theobjectivity n gir needs atotalmake-over andbtw Primark me, Princess girls buttrust m, eeds ato rst targ rst target hastobeadecent bag, l little mac to the Burberry show,little mactotheBurberry l ittle m s butt how c had had someonewarnedyou everywhere hesaidbig everywhere speech andwrite infashion launch waschannelhisBS I neededtodofortheLFW because Dave isagenius, all hattered butin agood way ? t there would befake snow? h B But Ihave forgiven Anya be because reallywhat a n e C d Catherine Bennett Bennett Catherine downer tofi t e t r u l a A y As seen by As seen your cotton totesare s t l even Kate Middleton. actually destroying the not anAnya bag? Not a plasticonesaying I’m her, whoisgoing tobuy planet? Andlike Itold The Guardian rst togo, and nd outthat

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Section:GDN TW PaGe:13 Edition Date:110224 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 23/2/2011 18:05 23/2/2011 at Sent Zone: Edition:01 Date:110224 Edition PaGe:13 TW Section:GDN cYan maGenta Yellow black