First published in 1956, Allen Ginsberg's Howl is a prophetic masterpiece—an epic raging against dehumanizing society that overcame censorship trials and obscenity charges to become one of the most widely read poems of the century. This annotated version of Ginsberg's classic is the poet's own re-creation of the revolutionary work's composition process—as well as a treasure trove of anecdotes, an intimate look at the poet's writing techniques, and a veritable social history of the 1950s.
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“Taken all together, Ginsberg’s poems are X-rays of a considerable part of American society during the last four decades.” (The New Yorker )
“Ginsberg is both tragic and dynamic, a lyrical genius...probably the single greatest influence on American poetical voice since Whitman.” (Bob Dylan )
“Ginsberg is both tragic and dynamic, a lyrical genius...probably the single greatest influence on American poetical voice since Whitman.” (Bob Dylan )
About the Author
Allen Ginsberg was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1926, a son of Naomi and lyric poet Louis Ginsberg. As a student at Columbia College in the 1940s, he began a close friendship with William Burroughs, Neal Cassady, and Jack Kerouac, and he later became associated with the Beat movement and the San Francisco Renaissance in the 1950s. After jobs as a laborer, sailor, and market researcher, Ginsberg published his first volume of poetry, Howl and Other Poems, in 1956. "Howl" defeated censorship trials to become one of the most widely read poems of the century, translated into more than twenty-two languages, from Macedonian to Chinese, a model for younger generations of poets from West to East.
Ginsberg was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French minister of culture, was a winner of the National Book Award (for The Fall of America), and was a cofounder of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute, the first accredited Buddhist college in the Western world. He died in New York City in 1997.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential for Ginsberg Fans and Spontaneous Writers Afraid of Revision
September 18, 2007
Amazon Verified Purchase
Considering Ginsberg embraced Kerouac's "First thought, best thought," motto, Howl's 50th anniversary edition, which includes many photocopied pages of handwritten and typed revisions, proves Ginsberg did plenty of revisiting and change to those first thoughts. Choosing better, more musical adjectives, adding to and shaping his images to enhance the mental scenery, and the great big cross-outs in pencil, turn this long, occasionally tough read into something wondrous.
Anyone who hasn't read Howl might not get the beauty of this book. Howl, (at first impression, anyway) appears to be a spontaneous effusion of cadence, gibberish, sexual references and glamorized psychosis. It is funny, frank and unashamed, and in those Eisenhower American-era days, what Ginsberg did was a brave and scary thing. He and his publisher, the poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti (who owned City Lights Books) certainly had their work cut out defending it.
Beyond its great literary status, "Howl" is a political milestone, being initially banned and labeled "obscene" for what by today's standards is laughably mild. This version of Howl is dedicated to Ferlinghetti, who along with the American Civil Liberties Union, championed the poem with First Amendment Protections. As we all know, Howl won its censorship trial to became one of the best and most widely read poems of modern time.
The 50th Anniversary Edition has some interesting 1950s black and white photos of Ginsberg, Kerouac, Neal Cassady and friends; photos of Ginsberg's room, photographed in Summer 1955, where Howl was created; a reader's guide and notes by Ginsberg; and perhaps most interesting, a `reintroduction to Carl Solomon' (for whom Howl was written), and a statement and writings by the real Carl Solomon, who had the uncomfortable burden of becoming an unlikely celebrity for having known Ginsberg during shared time in a mental institution. Of great interest are pages written by Carl Goy, a mental patient who underwent some of the shock treatments Ginsberg and Solomon were subjected to. He's a fascinating, if unreliable, narrator and it is certainly food for thought. Also of interest are the pages of correspondence from poets, peers, family and publishers about the book. In some of these letters, he covers imagery and technique, in others he battles angry feelings and upset. It's a great journey through the artistic, spiritual, mental, emotional and political publishing process, on top of everything else. Finally, there are several pages of `Model Texts: Inspirations Precursor to Howl' where Ginsberg pays homage to those that planted the seeds of this work: Christopher Smart, Shelley, Artaud, a tip of the hat to Bob Dylan, his friend William Carlos Williams, and others.
It's a wonderful book--sort of a `box set' for Ginsberg fans--and it's praise for best thought, whether or not it's the first.
Anyone who hasn't read Howl might not get the beauty of this book. Howl, (at first impression, anyway) appears to be a spontaneous effusion of cadence, gibberish, sexual references and glamorized psychosis. It is funny, frank and unashamed, and in those Eisenhower American-era days, what Ginsberg did was a brave and scary thing. He and his publisher, the poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti (who owned City Lights Books) certainly had their work cut out defending it.
Beyond its great literary status, "Howl" is a political milestone, being initially banned and labeled "obscene" for what by today's standards is laughably mild. This version of Howl is dedicated to Ferlinghetti, who along with the American Civil Liberties Union, championed the poem with First Amendment Protections. As we all know, Howl won its censorship trial to became one of the best and most widely read poems of modern time.
The 50th Anniversary Edition has some interesting 1950s black and white photos of Ginsberg, Kerouac, Neal Cassady and friends; photos of Ginsberg's room, photographed in Summer 1955, where Howl was created; a reader's guide and notes by Ginsberg; and perhaps most interesting, a `reintroduction to Carl Solomon' (for whom Howl was written), and a statement and writings by the real Carl Solomon, who had the uncomfortable burden of becoming an unlikely celebrity for having known Ginsberg during shared time in a mental institution. Of great interest are pages written by Carl Goy, a mental patient who underwent some of the shock treatments Ginsberg and Solomon were subjected to. He's a fascinating, if unreliable, narrator and it is certainly food for thought. Also of interest are the pages of correspondence from poets, peers, family and publishers about the book. In some of these letters, he covers imagery and technique, in others he battles angry feelings and upset. It's a great journey through the artistic, spiritual, mental, emotional and political publishing process, on top of everything else. Finally, there are several pages of `Model Texts: Inspirations Precursor to Howl' where Ginsberg pays homage to those that planted the seeds of this work: Christopher Smart, Shelley, Artaud, a tip of the hat to Bob Dylan, his friend William Carlos Williams, and others.
It's a wonderful book--sort of a `box set' for Ginsberg fans--and it's praise for best thought, whether or not it's the first.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
VERY VERY VERY detailed, but you don't need a master's degree to understand it...
October 13, 2009
Amazon Verified Purchase
(This is a review for the critique of the book "Howl: Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript, and Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence, Account of First Public...etc.", not about the book itself.)
This book, at a whopping 208 pages, portrays the author, Allen Ginsberg in a cultural and artistic flux as both poet and as creator who's process is also in flux as well. It is also not for the feint of heart except for those who are true fans of the 4 page typewritten epic poem, Allen's first real foray at attempting what can only now be called true free-form poetry from 1956.
The poem itself is full of life and is a ripped-open from the heart - and even his soul - portrayal of his own life; his view of his life from a mirror. This book breaks it down by the entire process - from the original typewritten version to the crossed-out edited parts, the many revisions, the "final" copies of different versions sent to friends who kept them for over 50 years (and luckily some of them, not all of them, reprinted here for the first time ever), to even letters corresponding back and forth from those same friends about it's then-impact, his subsequent secret agony in having opened up a Supreme Court type firestorm over the readings, and much much more ephemera concerning it.
It's a lot to take in, and it can't be done in one sitting. Almost everyone from that time period chimes in - Neal Cassidy, ex-lovers, Ferlinghetti, the publishers, and writings and thoughts by Ginsberg himself, who contributed unlimited access to his own personal papers among his other "scraps of paper," as he called them. (Sadly, Allen would never see this publication in it's final form as he died right before it was published.)
In a way, this is the final 'version' of the poem, to explain some of the more obscure references that have been argues for years, to make sense of the motivation behind some of the now legendary passages he was thinking about when he typed it up in that dingy one room apartment over 50 years ago.
On a personal level as a poet (I have written several chapbooks of poetry and many pieces of fiction myself), this is overwhelming. You need to be a true scholar of obscure fiction and poetry to understand the real depth and level of commitment he made when he wrote this, knowing he was standing up to over 1,000 years of structured, unassuming, harmless poetry. He was the first daredevil of poetry, daring to howl (forgive the pun) and rage against any kind formality.
This was a new way of writing poetry, a style never really seen, and written with such honesty it surely shows. I read this, ad re-read it, I went over the several dozen revisions, read every bit of notes written and typed and edited and scratched out to friends and lovers and editors, and well, I was mentally exhausted - there is a LOT to take in, but it is worth it.
The book is broken down into several sections, from the many drafts to the annotations, the many appendixes and correspondences to Kerouac, Carl Solomon, Ezra Pound, accounts of the first reading, the legal battles, and finally tons and tons of pictures and facsimiles of the original poem, the edits, an offhandedly snapped picture of the actual room he wrote it in, pictures of friends and lovers and friends, and much much more. It's just too much here to list, but it will be worth it for you to open it up and see for yourself.
If and when you read this, you will come to know the very essence of Allen's spirit, his thinking process, and finally you will not only be just a reader, but you will be drawn in and become part of something that happened once in a lifetime, a groundbreaking piece of writing has finally been given the proper dissection and criticism with the respect it deserves by not only many in his own circles but but Ginsberg himself.
In the past I've written a few special things, but nothing can come close to a poem that was written before my birth, affected First Amendment law, brought together a special kind of writing community and changed forever the way we all approach poetry, and even literature itself.
We have one man to thank, not only for writing it, but for having the kind of support and friendship of so many others whose voices were only heard from the sidelines who supported him enough to back him when the rest of the world did not.
This book is a living statement, of how it was originally thought out, how it was born, and how it even now lives through those who may yet read it and see for themselves that this singular poem, as a document, is as important to us as some who may revere the Liberty Bell, the Constitution and the American flag itself.
To own this is to own a true piece of Americana itself, so do yourself a favor, pick it up, read it, and place it proudly on your shelf.
(Thanks for reading - please check out my other hopefully not-too-syrupy critiques here on Amazon.)
This book, at a whopping 208 pages, portrays the author, Allen Ginsberg in a cultural and artistic flux as both poet and as creator who's process is also in flux as well. It is also not for the feint of heart except for those who are true fans of the 4 page typewritten epic poem, Allen's first real foray at attempting what can only now be called true free-form poetry from 1956.
The poem itself is full of life and is a ripped-open from the heart - and even his soul - portrayal of his own life; his view of his life from a mirror. This book breaks it down by the entire process - from the original typewritten version to the crossed-out edited parts, the many revisions, the "final" copies of different versions sent to friends who kept them for over 50 years (and luckily some of them, not all of them, reprinted here for the first time ever), to even letters corresponding back and forth from those same friends about it's then-impact, his subsequent secret agony in having opened up a Supreme Court type firestorm over the readings, and much much more ephemera concerning it.
It's a lot to take in, and it can't be done in one sitting. Almost everyone from that time period chimes in - Neal Cassidy, ex-lovers, Ferlinghetti, the publishers, and writings and thoughts by Ginsberg himself, who contributed unlimited access to his own personal papers among his other "scraps of paper," as he called them. (Sadly, Allen would never see this publication in it's final form as he died right before it was published.)
In a way, this is the final 'version' of the poem, to explain some of the more obscure references that have been argues for years, to make sense of the motivation behind some of the now legendary passages he was thinking about when he typed it up in that dingy one room apartment over 50 years ago.
On a personal level as a poet (I have written several chapbooks of poetry and many pieces of fiction myself), this is overwhelming. You need to be a true scholar of obscure fiction and poetry to understand the real depth and level of commitment he made when he wrote this, knowing he was standing up to over 1,000 years of structured, unassuming, harmless poetry. He was the first daredevil of poetry, daring to howl (forgive the pun) and rage against any kind formality.
This was a new way of writing poetry, a style never really seen, and written with such honesty it surely shows. I read this, ad re-read it, I went over the several dozen revisions, read every bit of notes written and typed and edited and scratched out to friends and lovers and editors, and well, I was mentally exhausted - there is a LOT to take in, but it is worth it.
The book is broken down into several sections, from the many drafts to the annotations, the many appendixes and correspondences to Kerouac, Carl Solomon, Ezra Pound, accounts of the first reading, the legal battles, and finally tons and tons of pictures and facsimiles of the original poem, the edits, an offhandedly snapped picture of the actual room he wrote it in, pictures of friends and lovers and friends, and much much more. It's just too much here to list, but it will be worth it for you to open it up and see for yourself.
If and when you read this, you will come to know the very essence of Allen's spirit, his thinking process, and finally you will not only be just a reader, but you will be drawn in and become part of something that happened once in a lifetime, a groundbreaking piece of writing has finally been given the proper dissection and criticism with the respect it deserves by not only many in his own circles but but Ginsberg himself.
In the past I've written a few special things, but nothing can come close to a poem that was written before my birth, affected First Amendment law, brought together a special kind of writing community and changed forever the way we all approach poetry, and even literature itself.
We have one man to thank, not only for writing it, but for having the kind of support and friendship of so many others whose voices were only heard from the sidelines who supported him enough to back him when the rest of the world did not.
This book is a living statement, of how it was originally thought out, how it was born, and how it even now lives through those who may yet read it and see for themselves that this singular poem, as a document, is as important to us as some who may revere the Liberty Bell, the Constitution and the American flag itself.
To own this is to own a true piece of Americana itself, so do yourself a favor, pick it up, read it, and place it proudly on your shelf.
(Thanks for reading - please check out my other hopefully not-too-syrupy critiques here on Amazon.)
Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was shipped to me while I was on a deployment in the middle of the ocean! It shipped very quiickly. The poetry in this book is shocking and sometimes offensive, but uniquely written. I have the original and it's amazing to see the notes written by Ginsberg himself in this edition.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
The development of a tour de force
Here we are granted invaluable insight into the making of "Howl." We see the visions and revisions of Allen Ginsberg, America's poetic enfant terrible, as he composes what is... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Thomas E. Defreitas
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for History lovers
I am happy with this book. It is great to see the authors thoughts and edits, and is overall a very pretty book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by pragmatic_insanities
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Influential and Important American Classic
Allen Ginsberg's Howl has long been one of my favorite poems. I like and admire the poem for various reasons; most of these reasons are related either to the particulars of the... Read more
Published on December 17, 2009 by Bill R. Moore
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