Allen Ginsberg at Sir George Williams University, The Poetry Series, 7 November 1969

CLASSIFICATION

Swallow ID:
1281
Partner Institution:
Concordia University
Source Collection Label:
SGWU Reading Series-Concordia University Department of English fonds
Series:
The Poetry Series
Sub Series:
SGWU Reading Series-Concordia University Department of English fonds

ITEM DESCRIPTION

Title:
Allen Ginsberg at Sir George Williams University, The Poetry Series, 7 November 1969
Title Source:
Cataloguer
Title Note:
"ALAN GINSBERG -1 Recorded November 7, 1969 3.75 ips on 1 mil. tape, 1/2 track" written on sticker on the back of the tape's box. ALAN GINSBERG refers to Allen Ginsberg. ALAN is mispelled. "PERMISSION FROM HOWARD FINK TO REPRODUCE THIS TAPE" also written on sticker on the back of the tape's box. "ALAN GINSBERG-1 I006/SR33.1" written on sticker on the spine of the tape's box. "I006-11-033.1" written on sticker on the reel. "ALAN GINSBERG -2 Recorded November 7, 1969 3.75 ips on 1 mil. tape, 1/2 track" written on sticker on the back of the tape's box. ALAN GINSBERG refers to Allen Ginsberg. ALAN is mispelled. "PERMISSION FROM HOWARD FINK TO REPRODUCE THIS TAPE" also written on sticker on the back of the tape's box. "ALAN GINSBERG-1 I006/SR33.2" written on sticker on the spine of the tape's box. "ALAN GINSBERG-1 I006-11-033.2" written on sticker on the reel.
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Reading: Poetry
Persistent URL:
http://archives.concordia.ca/I086
Identifiers:
[I006-11-033.1, I006-11-033.2]

Rights

CREATORS

Name:
Ginsberg, Irwin Allen
Dates:
1926-1997
URL:
http://viaf.org/viaf/108417923
Role:
"Author", "Performer"
Notes:
Poet, revolutionary, and Beat generation icon Allen Ginsberg was born on June 3, 1926 in Paterson, New Jersey, to Naomi, a radical communist, and Louis Ginsberg, teacher and lyric poet. In his early life, Ginsberg’s mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a condition that would forever shape her son’s life. After graduation from high school, Ginsberg was accepted to Columbia University on scholarship to study labor law. However, after meeting Mark Van Doren and Lionel Trilling, Ginsberg turned to English and poetry. It was also at this time when he met Jack Kerouac, Lucien Carr, William S. Burroughs and Neal Cassady who would eventually form the ‘Beat Generation’. In 1948, Ginsberg had a vision of poet William Blake entering his apartment window, an event which would influence the rest of his life, attempting to recapture the image. In 1949, Ginsberg had a few minor run-ins with the law and he was committed to the Columbia-Presbyterian Psychiatric Institution. There he met his future publisher and life-long friend, Carl Solomon, a troubled intellectual. After serving in the merchant marines, and spending several months in Mexico, Ginsberg moved to San Francisco, where he met poets Kenneth Rexroth, Gary Snyder and Peter Orlovsky, who would become his life-long partner. After composing his first major notable poem, “Howl”, in 1955, he and Rexroth organized a reading of it at the Six Gallery, featuring Snyder and Michael McClure, with Lawrence Ferlenghetti (who later published the poem) and Kerouac in attendance. Ginsberg’s first collection of poetry was published in 1956, but with its second printing in 1957, Howl and Other Poems (City Lights Books, 1956) was seized by U.S. Customs for being ‘obscene’. However, after a trial, the book was deemed to have literary merit, which propelled Ginsberg and the Beat group of poets into instant fame, giving Ginsberg the opportunity to promote Kerouac’s On the Road and Burroughs’ Naked Lunch. In 1956, Ginsberg received news that his mother had died, which compelled him to write the poems “Death to Van Gogh’s Ear!” and “The Lion for Real”, and Kaddish and Other Poems (City Lights Books, 1961) as well as Empty Mirror: Early Poems (Corinth Books, 1961). During the 1960s Ginsberg traveled widely with Burroughs, Gregory Corso, Snyder to Paris, India, Tangier, Prague (where he was deported for being a corrupting influence). He published Reality Sandwiches: 1953-1960 (City Lights Books, 1963), The Yage Letters with William Burroughs (City Lights Books, 1963), TV Baby Poems (Beach Books, 1968), Angkor Wat (Fulcrum Press, 1968), Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968), and Airplane Dreams: Compositions from Journals (City Lights Books, 1969). The years of 1968 and 1969 were filled with mourning for Ginsberg, as he learned of the death of both Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac. The 1970s saw Ginsberg publish a number of collections, including The Fall of America: Poems of These States (City Lights, 1972), which won the National Book Award in 1974, The Gates of Wrath: Rhymed Poems, 1948-1952 (Grey Fox, 1972), Iron Horse (City Lights, 1974), First Blues: Rags, Ballads and Harmonium Songs, 1971-1974 (Full Court Press, 1975), Mind Breaths: Poems (City Lights, 1977), Poems All Over the Place: Mostly Seventies (Cherry Valley Editions, 1978). In 1976, Ginsberg and poet Anne Waldman were invited to create a writing program at the Naropa Institute in Colorado, which they named the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ginsberg published Plutonian Ode and Other Poems, 1977-1980 (City Lights, 1982), White Shroud: Poems 1980-1985 (Harper & Row, 1986), Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems, 1986-1992 (HarperCollins,1994), Selected Poems (HarperCollins, 1996), Death & Fame: Last Poems, 1993-1997 (HarperFlamingo, 1999). Until his death, Ginsberg used his fame and poetry to speak out against censorship, the Vietnam War and drug prohibition, and for gay rights. Allen Ginsberg died in New York City, on April 4th, 1997.

CONTRIBUTORS

Name:
Bowering, George
Dates:
1935-
URL:
http://viaf.org/viaf/34469976
Role:
"Series organizer", "Presenter"

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Reel to Reel
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/4 inch
Playing Speed:
3 3/4 ips
Track Configuration:
Half-track
Playback Mode:
Mono
Tape Brand:
Scotch
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Reel to Reel
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/4 inch
Playing Speed:
3 3/4 ips
Track Configuration:
Half-track
Playback Mode:
Mono
Sound Quality:
Excellent

DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION

File URL:
https://files.spokenweb.ca/concordia/sgw/audio/all_mp3/allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-1.mp3
Show Content
File Path:
files.spokenweb.ca>concordia>sgw>audio>all_mp3
Duration:
01:01:52
Size:
148.5 MB
Content:
allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-1.mp3 [File 1 of 2] Unnamed Performers and Audience 00:00:00 Sing and chant accompanied by music . Unknown 00:16:38 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. George Bowering 00:16:41 Welcome to the...welcome to the fourth—third week of the fourth series of our readings here at Sir George and this one is a special one, partly in that it was, it is being presented by a combination of the daytime Arts Student Association and the evening Arts Student Association, and not simply on the normal schedule. I'm certain that you don't have to be told who Allen Ginsberg is, and you might think on how lucky it is that you happen to be in Montreal and he is here at the same time. Last night he was at York University in Toronto , and tomorrow he's going to be in Ottawa , and we're going to sap an awful lot of his energy. Allen is, I think, the most noted poet we've had over the last couple of decades, in the world, and as you're going to find out and as you already know, one of the super-poets in terms of writing poetry, as well. I'd like to give you, without any more cogitation, Mr. Allen Ginsberg. Audience 00:18:13 Applause. Allen Ginsberg 00:18:23 George Bowering , who I've known a long time, asked me to read a poem that I haven't read through but once before, called "Angkor Wat". So I'll try that. It's middle-sized, like, ten minutes, probably. What it is, is notations taken down in the course of one night in Cambodia , in Siem Reap , which is outside of Angkor Wat , a town outside of the ruins. Unknown 00:18:55 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:18:56 Reads "Angkor Wat" [from Angkor Wat]. Audience 00:41:32 Applause [cut off]. Unknown 00:41:37 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:41:45 I want to read a couple poems from a book published in Toronto by Anansi Press, or one poem from that. This is written in Saigon , so it's about a week, yes it's about...the same week, I think. Oh this is...a week before. Allen Ginsberg 00:42:19 Reads “Understand that this is a Dream” [from Airplane Dreams]. Unknown 00:49:28 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:49:36 I've been working on Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience , making tunes, or tuning the songs, so I'd like to sing some. Allen Ginsberg 00:49:48 Performs "(a) Introduction / (b) The Shepherd”, accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:52:30 Singing them in the order in Experience, that they're in the book, what follows is "The Echoing Green". Allen Ginsberg 00:52:40 Performs "The Echoing Green", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:54:29 “The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found". Allen Ginsberg 00:54:41 Performs "The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:56:14 Performs "The Blossom", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:57:16 From Experience, the first song is "Hear the Voice of the Bard". Allen Ginsberg 00:57:22 Performs "Hear the Voice of the Bard", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Introduction” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:59:26 And the last song in Experience... Allen Ginsberg 00:59:33 Performs "Introduction", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 01:00:47.46 And last from Innocence, "The Laughing Song". Allen Ginsberg 01:00:50 Performs "The Laughing Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “b) Laughing Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Audience 01:01:48 Applause [cut off]. END 01:01:52
Notes:
Allen Ginsberg reads from Angkor Wat (Fulcrum Press, 1968), Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968), as well as pieces that were published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States (City Lights Books, 1973). Ginsbger also performs musical versions of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience (MGM, 1970). 00:00- Recording begins with Hare Krishna chanting music. 16:41- George Bowering introduces Allen Ginsberg. [INDEX: Sir George Williams University, third week of the fourth series of readings, reading presented with both daytime and evening Arts Student Association, Ginsberg’s reading schedule: York University (Toronto), Ottawa.] 18:23- Introduces “Angkor Wat”. [INDEX: George Bowering, notations taken from one night in Siem Reap, Cambodia; from Angkor Wat (Fulcrum Press, 1968).] 18:56- Reads “Angkor Wat”. 41:45- Introduces “Understand That This is a Dream”. [INDEX: Published by Anansi Press, Toronto; found in Airplane Dreams (City Lights Books, 1969).] 42:19- Reads “Understand That This is a Dream”. 49:36- Introduces Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience, poem beginning “Piping down the valleys wild”. 49:48- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “Piping down the valleys wild”. 51:20- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “How sweet is the shepherd’s sweet lot”. 52:30- Introduces “The Echoing Green” [INDEX: Blake’s Experience.] 52:40- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “The Echoing Green”. 54:29- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “The Little Boy Lost” and “The Little Boy Found”. 56:14- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “The Blossom”. 57:16- Introduces “Hear the Voice of the Bard” [INDEX: from Experience.] 57:22- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “Hear the Voice of the Bard”. 59:33- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “Youth of delight, come hither”. 1:00:47- Sings (with harmonium-style instrument) “The Laughing Song” 1:01:48.50- END OF RECORDING.
Content Type:
Sound Recording
File URL:
https://files.spokenweb.ca/concordia/sgw/audio/all_mp3/allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-2.mp3
Show Content
File Path:
files.spokenweb.ca>concordia>sgw>audio>all_mp3
Size:
66.6 MB
Content:
allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-2.mp3 [File 2 of 2] Allen Ginsberg 00:00:00 Reads "Morning" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:02:17 Laughter and applause. Unknown 00:02:23 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:02:23 Reads "Today" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:10:04 Applause. Unknown 00:10:07 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:10:08 Reads "First party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels" [from Planet News]. Allen Ginsberg 00:11:22 Reads "Uptown" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:12:20 Laughter and applause Unknown 00:12:29 [Cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:12:30 Performs "Holy Ghost on the Nod over the Body of Bliss" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:14:46 Applause. Unknown 00:14:52 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:14:59 Performs "Hari Om Namah Shivaya” chant, accompanying himself on harmonium. Audience 00:25:17 Applause. Allen Ginsberg 00:25:22 Performs "The Lamb", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:27:00 Performs "The Little Black Boy", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:30:11 Performs "Holy Thursday", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:31:37 I'll finish the Blake with "The Nurse's Song". Get up a little closer to me. Allen Ginsberg 00:31:52 Performs"The Nurse's Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Nurses Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:32:27 No...start again. Allen Ginsberg 00:32:32 Performs "The Nurse's Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Nurses Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Audience 00:35:58 Applause. Unknown 00:36:05 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:36:13 The continuation of a long poem on these dates. Some of those who are specialists, some of those who are specialists in poesy will know a text published in a book I've been reading from, Planet News , called "Wichita Vortex Sutra". This is the continuation of the same long poem a year later, bringing the war, the mental war up to 1967. January, 1967. Related to the poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra" in that it's crossing the central part of the United States again, north of Kansas through Nebraska , passing again by Lincoln , Nebraska. A trip between Wichita, Kansas and Lincoln, Nebraska two...a year and a half earlier having been the subject of the text "Wichita Vortex Sutra". This continuation. Allen Ginsberg 00:37:09 Reads [“Returning North of Vortex", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States]. Allen Ginsberg 00:43:12 A continuation of the same poem, between Kansas City and St. Louis . Middle of the long poem on these dates. Allen Ginsberg 00:43:22 Reads ["Kansas City to Saint Louis", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States]. Audience 00:52:41 Applause. Unknown 00:52:46 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:52:47 Reads "Car Crash" [published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States; audience laughter throughout]. Allen Ginsberg 00:58:17 And July 4th, 1969. "Orange hawkeye"--Hawkeye is a New York state flower, a flower that grows in New York state, very tiny, bright orange, eyeball with a tiny brown, brownish, purplish pupil. Allen Ginsberg 00:58:35 Reads ["Independence Day", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States] Allen Ginsberg 01:00:49 Finish with a mantra. Well or, read one last poem, which has been distributed by Dakota Broadsides, they're people from Logos, or connected with Logos, I think. Is that not right? Yeah. I'll pass these out, I think. It's a poem written in Grant Park on August 28th, '68, during the Democratic Convention. Uh, Grant Park, the day after the election of, or the day after the nomination of Humphrey . Allen Ginsberg 01:01:27 Reads unnamed poem. Audience 01:02:25 Applause and laughter [cut off]. END 01:02:31
Notes:
Allen Ginsberg reads from Angkor Wat (Fulcrum Press, 1968), Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968), as well as pieces that were published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States (City Lights Books, 1973). Ginsbger also performs musical versions of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience (MGM, 1970). 00:00- Recording begins, Ginsberg reads “Morning”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 02:23- Reads “Today”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 10:08- Reads “First party at Ken Kesey’s with Hell’s Angels”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 11:22- Reads “Uptown”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 12:30- Reads “Holy Ghost, on the Nod, over the Body of Bliss”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 13:50- Chants section of poem, first line “And Santa Barbara rejoices in the alleyways of Brindaban...”. 14:59- Harmonium/music starts, Ginsberg sings “Hari Om Namo Shivaya...” 25:22- Sings “Little Lamb, Who Made Thee?” [INDEX: William Blake] 27:00- Sings "My mother bore me in the southern wild". [INDEX: William Blake.] 30:11- Sings “Twas on a Holy Thursday”. [INDEX: William Blake] 31:37- Introduces “The Nurse’s Song”. [INDEX: William Blake] 31:52- Sings “The Nurse’s Song”. 36:13- Introduces “Wichita Votex Sutra”. [INDEX: from Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968).] 37:09- Reads “Wichita Vortex Sutra”. 43:12- Introduces continuation of same poem, first line “Leaving K.C., MO...” 52:47- Reads “Car Crash”. 58:17- Introduces “July 4th, 1969”. [INDEX: hawkeye, New York State flower] 58:35- Reads “July 4th, 1969”. 1:00:49- Introduces unknown mantra, line “Green air, children sit under trees with the old...” 1:01:27- Reads unknown mantra, line “Green air, children sit under trees with the old...” 1:02:31.23- END OF RECORDING
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Sound Recording
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Title:
Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 1 - Back
Credit:
Drew Bernet
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Photograph
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 1 - Front
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 1 - Spine
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Drew Bernet
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 1 - Reel
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
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File URL:
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Title:
Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 2 - Back
Credit:
Drew Bernet
Content Type:
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File URL:
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 2 - Front
Credit:
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Content Type:
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 2 - Spine
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Content Type:
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Allen Ginsberg Tape Box 2 - Reel
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Dates

Date:
1969 11 7
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
Accompanying Material
Notes:
Date written on sticker on the back of the tape's box.

LOCATION

Address:
1455, Boul de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Venue:
Hall Building Room H-110
Latitude:
45.4972758
Longitude:
-73.57893043
URL:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/22080570
Notes:
Previous researcher

CONTENT

Contents:
allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-1.mp3 [File 1 of 2] Unnamed Performers and Audience 00:00:00 Sing and chant accompanied by music . Unknown 00:16:38 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. George Bowering 00:16:41 Welcome to the...welcome to the fourth—third week of the fourth series of our readings here at Sir George and this one is a special one, partly in that it was, it is being presented by a combination of the daytime Arts Student Association and the evening Arts Student Association, and not simply on the normal schedule. I'm certain that you don't have to be told who Allen Ginsberg is, and you might think on how lucky it is that you happen to be in Montreal and he is here at the same time. Last night he was at York University in Toronto , and tomorrow he's going to be in Ottawa , and we're going to sap an awful lot of his energy. Allen is, I think, the most noted poet we've had over the last couple of decades, in the world, and as you're going to find out and as you already know, one of the super-poets in terms of writing poetry, as well. I'd like to give you, without any more cogitation, Mr. Allen Ginsberg. Audience 00:18:13 Applause. Allen Ginsberg 00:18:23 George Bowering , who I've known a long time, asked me to read a poem that I haven't read through but once before, called "Angkor Wat". So I'll try that. It's middle-sized, like, ten minutes, probably. What it is, is notations taken down in the course of one night in Cambodia , in Siem Reap , which is outside of Angkor Wat , a town outside of the ruins. Unknown 00:18:55 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:18:56 Reads "Angkor Wat" [from Angkor Wat]. Audience 00:41:32 Applause [cut off]. Unknown 00:41:37 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:41:45 I want to read a couple poems from a book published in Toronto by Anansi Press, or one poem from that. This is written in Saigon , so it's about a week, yes it's about...the same week, I think. Oh this is...a week before. Allen Ginsberg 00:42:19 Reads “Understand that this is a Dream” [from Airplane Dreams]. Unknown 00:49:28 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:49:36 I've been working on Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience , making tunes, or tuning the songs, so I'd like to sing some. Allen Ginsberg 00:49:48 Performs "(a) Introduction / (b) The Shepherd”, accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:52:30 Singing them in the order in Experience, that they're in the book, what follows is "The Echoing Green". Allen Ginsberg 00:52:40 Performs "The Echoing Green", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:54:29 “The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found". Allen Ginsberg 00:54:41 Performs "The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:56:14 Performs "The Blossom", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:57:16 From Experience, the first song is "Hear the Voice of the Bard". Allen Ginsberg 00:57:22 Performs "Hear the Voice of the Bard", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Introduction” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:59:26 And the last song in Experience... Allen Ginsberg 00:59:33 Performs "Introduction", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 01:00:47.46 And last from Innocence, "The Laughing Song". Allen Ginsberg 01:00:50 Performs "The Laughing Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “b) Laughing Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Audience 01:01:48 Applause [cut off]. END 01:01:52 allen_ginsberg_i006-11-033-2.mp3 [File 2 of 2] Allen Ginsberg 00:00:00 Reads "Morning" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:02:17 Laughter and applause. Unknown 00:02:23 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:02:23 Reads "Today" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:10:04 Applause. Unknown 00:10:07 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:10:08 Reads "First party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels" [from Planet News]. Allen Ginsberg 00:11:22 Reads "Uptown" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:12:20 Laughter and applause Unknown 00:12:29 [Cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:12:30 Performs "Holy Ghost on the Nod over the Body of Bliss" [from Planet News]. Audience 00:14:46 Applause. Unknown 00:14:52 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:14:59 Performs "Hari Om Namah Shivaya” chant, accompanying himself on harmonium. Audience 00:25:17 Applause. Allen Ginsberg 00:25:22 Performs "The Lamb", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:27:00 Performs "The Little Black Boy", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:30:11 Performs "Holy Thursday", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:31:37 I'll finish the Blake with "The Nurse's Song". Get up a little closer to me. Allen Ginsberg 00:31:52 Performs"The Nurse's Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Nurses Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Allen Ginsberg 00:32:27 No...start again. Allen Ginsberg 00:32:32 Performs "The Nurse's Song", accompanying himself on harmonium [recorded later as “Nurses Song” on Songs of Innocence and Experience]. Audience 00:35:58 Applause. Unknown 00:36:05 Silence [cut or edit made in tape]. Allen Ginsberg 00:36:13 The continuation of a long poem on these dates. Some of those who are specialists, some of those who are specialists in poesy will know a text published in a book I've been reading from, Planet News , called "Wichita Vortex Sutra". This is the continuation of the same long poem a year later, bringing the war, the mental war up to 1967. January, 1967. Related to the poem "Wichita Vortex Sutra" in that it's crossing the central part of the United States again, north of Kansas through Nebraska , passing again by Lincoln , Nebraska. A trip between Wichita, Kansas and Lincoln, Nebraska two...a year and a half earlier having been the subject of the text "Wichita Vortex Sutra". This continuation. Allen Ginsberg 00:37:09 Reads [“Returning North of Vortex", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States]. Allen Ginsberg 00:43:12 A continuation of the same poem, between Kansas City and St. Louis . Middle of the long poem on these dates. Allen Ginsberg 00:43:22 Reads ["Kansas City to Saint Louis", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States]. Audience 00:52:41 Applause. Unknown 00:52:46 [Cut or edit made in tape. Unknown amount of time elapsed]. Allen Ginsberg 00:52:47 Reads "Car Crash" [published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States; audience laughter throughout]. Allen Ginsberg 00:58:17 And July 4th, 1969. "Orange hawkeye"--Hawkeye is a New York state flower, a flower that grows in New York state, very tiny, bright orange, eyeball with a tiny brown, brownish, purplish pupil. Allen Ginsberg 00:58:35 Reads ["Independence Day", published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States] Allen Ginsberg 01:00:49 Finish with a mantra. Well or, read one last poem, which has been distributed by Dakota Broadsides, they're people from Logos, or connected with Logos, I think. Is that not right? Yeah. I'll pass these out, I think. It's a poem written in Grant Park on August 28th, '68, during the Democratic Convention. Uh, Grant Park, the day after the election of, or the day after the nomination of Humphrey . Allen Ginsberg 01:01:27 Reads unnamed poem. Audience 01:02:25 Applause and laughter [cut off]. END 01:02:31
Notes:
Allen Ginsberg reads from Angkor Wat (Fulcrum Press, 1968), Planet News (City Lights Books, 1968), as well as pieces that were published later in The Fall of America: Poems of These States (City Lights Books, 1973). Ginsbger also performs musical versions of William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, recorded later on Songs of Innocence and Experience (MGM, 1970).

NOTES

Type:
General
Note:
Year-Specific Information: In 1969, Ginsberg had published Airplane Dreams: Compositions from Journals. In June of 1969, Ginsberg recorded a series of William Blake’s poetry set to music, which was released by MGM records in 1970. Close friend Jack Kerouac died on October 21, 1969, which prompted Allen to write his long elegy, “Memory Gardens”. In December, Ginsberg testified in court at the “Chicago Seven” trial of protesters in the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Type:
General
Note:
Local Connections: Allen Ginsberg not only became a household name and a symbol for youth in North America during the 60’s and 70’s, he led the ‘Beat’ poetry movement, was a world traveler, a defender of civil and human rights, a teacher and spiritual guide. Ginsberg states in the recording that he had known George Bowering, who was a professor at Sir George Williams University, for “a long time” (I006-11-033.1).
Type:
General
Note:
George Bowering published his reaction to Ginsberg’s poem, “Howl” in 1969, How I hear Howl (Montreal, Beaver kosmos folio, 1, 1969).
Type:
General
Note:
Stephen Morrissey has recollections of attending most of the readings in the series: <http://www.vehiculepoets.com/recollective_essay.htm>
Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Original print catalogue, introduction, research and edits by Celyn Harding-Jones Additional research and edits by Ali Barillaro
Type:
Preservation
Note:
2 reel-to-reel tapes>2 CDs>2 digital files

RELATED WORKS

Citation:
Butscher, Edward. "Ginsberg, Allen". The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English. Ian Hamilton, ed. Oxford University Press, 1996.
URL:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/oxford-companion-to-twentieth-century-poetry-in-english/oclc/807465072&referer=brief_results
Citation:
Carlise, Chuck. "Ginsberg, Allen". The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature. Jay Parini, ed. Oxford University Press 2004.
URL:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/oxford-encyclopedia-of-american-literature/oclc/769478515&referer=brief_results
Citation:
Ginsberg, Allen. Angkor Wat. London: Fulcrum Press, 1968.
URL:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/ankor-wat/oclc/17611&referer=brief_results
Citation:
Ginsberg, Allen. Planet News. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1968.
URL:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/planet-news-1961-1967/oclc/806341370&referer=brief_results
Citation:
Ginsberg, Allen. The Fall of America: Poems of These States. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1973.
URL:
https://www.worldcat.org/title/fall-of-america-poems-of-these-states-1965-1971/oclc/472756006&referer=brief_results
Citation:
Ginsberg, Allen. Songs of Innocence and Experience. New York: MGM, 1970.
URL:
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20713959
Citation:
Mitgang, Herbert. Dangerous dossiers: exposing the secret war against America’s greatest authors. New York: D.I. Fine, 1988.
URL:
http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/ginsberg-fbi.html
Citation:
Allen Ginsberg Project. The Allen Ginsberg Trust, 2010.
URL:
http://www.allenginsberg.org
Citation:
Duerden, Paul. “Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-”. Literature Online Biography. Proquest, 2008.
Citation:
“Nook: Ginsberg”. The Georgian. Montreal: Sir George Williams University, 12 November 1969, page 7.

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