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chasingholden's review against another edition
4.0
loving it so far but due back to the library so will finish the book when my own copy arrives.
Perfect for anyone interested in the Beat generation as a whole or Allen Ginsberg specifically. Unfortunately some of Ferlinghetti's responses were destroyed so there are more written by Allen included than Ferlinghetti but I love them both so I still geeked out at being able to peek in to the lives of the famous pair.
Perfect for anyone interested in the Beat generation as a whole or Allen Ginsberg specifically. Unfortunately some of Ferlinghetti's responses were destroyed so there are more written by Allen included than Ferlinghetti but I love them both so I still geeked out at being able to peek in to the lives of the famous pair.
richardwells's review against another edition
4.0
I've long understood the fascination with the letters of great people - voyeurism at worst, insight into genius at best - but for me the fascination has always been greater than the fact. I've never been well enough acquainted with the correspondents, deeply enough immersed in their work, or familiar with the cast of friends, minor players, allies, or enemies. Not so with the Beat Generation. These are guys (for the most part) who I've been guilty of idolizing as personalities, and have read deeply. I'm on a first name basis with the likes of Larry, Allen, Gregory, Jack, Bill, etc. So I looked forward to a dive into the life long correspondence of Lawrence (Larry, Lorenzo,) and Allen (Ginzy, Ginsbag,) and have been amply rewarded.
Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg were fellow poets, business partners, and friends for an epoch. Ferlinghetti brought Ginsberg to the world with the publication of Howl, the number 4 issue of his Pocket Poets series. Ferlinghetti stayed loyal to Ginsberg, and v.v. with #14 - Kaddish; 18 - Reality Sandwiches; 23 - Planet News; 30 - The Fall of America; 35 - Mind Breaths; 40 - Plutonium Ode. He went to the mat with the US Government paying for Howl's defense in a famous obscenity trial. He also published many of Ginsberg's pals including Peter Orlovsky, Corso, Kerouac, and Neil Cassady. Ginsberg stayed with City Lights until older age loomed, and the big boys offered him mega-bucks for his selected and collected - no hard feelings resulted.
The letters shine a light on the poets as businessmen, arbiters of taste, promoters of the gone world, and great friends. Ferlinghetti is the least likely of the two to share personal matters, though he writes well about other poets, holds Ginsberg's feet to the fire as a spokesperson for the Beats and the Naropa Buddhists, and lacerates what may be left of Corso's reputation by implicating him in thefts from the City Lights till to the tune of three thousand dollars. Seems Gregory had a spare key, and the reason he got caught was that after the locks were changed he was spotted breaking a window. Asshole. Ginsberg in turn provides interesting critiques of Ferlinghetti's writing, pushes favorites upon him, keeps track of advances and finances, and honks and howls about poetry around the world.
The correspondence is honest and open, and I felt part of their lives while reading. The volume ends with Ferlinghetti's good-bye poem to Ginsberg, and it brought a tear to my eye.
Recommended to you latter day beatniks out there.
Onward now to the letters of Robert Bly and Tomas Transtromer.
Ferlinghetti and Ginsberg were fellow poets, business partners, and friends for an epoch. Ferlinghetti brought Ginsberg to the world with the publication of Howl, the number 4 issue of his Pocket Poets series. Ferlinghetti stayed loyal to Ginsberg, and v.v. with #14 - Kaddish; 18 - Reality Sandwiches; 23 - Planet News; 30 - The Fall of America; 35 - Mind Breaths; 40 - Plutonium Ode. He went to the mat with the US Government paying for Howl's defense in a famous obscenity trial. He also published many of Ginsberg's pals including Peter Orlovsky, Corso, Kerouac, and Neil Cassady. Ginsberg stayed with City Lights until older age loomed, and the big boys offered him mega-bucks for his selected and collected - no hard feelings resulted.
The letters shine a light on the poets as businessmen, arbiters of taste, promoters of the gone world, and great friends. Ferlinghetti is the least likely of the two to share personal matters, though he writes well about other poets, holds Ginsberg's feet to the fire as a spokesperson for the Beats and the Naropa Buddhists, and lacerates what may be left of Corso's reputation by implicating him in thefts from the City Lights till to the tune of three thousand dollars. Seems Gregory had a spare key, and the reason he got caught was that after the locks were changed he was spotted breaking a window. Asshole. Ginsberg in turn provides interesting critiques of Ferlinghetti's writing, pushes favorites upon him, keeps track of advances and finances, and honks and howls about poetry around the world.
The correspondence is honest and open, and I felt part of their lives while reading. The volume ends with Ferlinghetti's good-bye poem to Ginsberg, and it brought a tear to my eye.
Recommended to you latter day beatniks out there.
Onward now to the letters of Robert Bly and Tomas Transtromer.
crazybooklife's review against another edition
4.0
loving it so far but due back to the library so will finish the book when my own copy arrives.
Perfect for anyone interested in the Beat generation as a whole or Allen Ginsberg specifically. Unfortunately some of Ferlinghetti's responses were destroyed so there are more written by Allen included than Ferlinghetti but I love them both so I still geeked out at being able to peek in to the lives of the famous pair.
Perfect for anyone interested in the Beat generation as a whole or Allen Ginsberg specifically. Unfortunately some of Ferlinghetti's responses were destroyed so there are more written by Allen included than Ferlinghetti but I love them both so I still geeked out at being able to peek in to the lives of the famous pair.
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