Riot Headline Early Black Friday Deals on Hardcovers and Paperbacks (UPDATED November 22)
News

Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg

Michael Lieberman

Staff Writer

Michael Lieberman is first and foremost a cheerleader; for books, for literacy and for the freedom of expression. He is the founder of Wessel & Lieberman Booksellers and the creator of the popular blog, Book Patrol.

Ginsbreg_Myself

“Ordinary mind includes eternal perceptions. Notice what you notice. Observe what’s vivid. Catch yourself thinking. Vividness is self-selecting. And remember the future.” – Allen Ginsberg

In addition to changing the direction of American Poetry with the publication of his masterpiece HOWL Allen Ginsberg also chronicled the Beat Movement through his camera. Kerouac, Burroughs, Corso, Cassady all come alive in these touching, intimate photos.

“Each picture represents an ‘intimate communication’ between [Ginsberg] and another human being, and he strove to make each one express not only something of that exchange but the integrity of the individual before him” says curator Sarah Greenough

Organized by the National Gallery of Art and curated by Greenough the exhibit is currently on view at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

ginsberg_kerouac_exhibit

Jack Kerouac wandering along East 7th street . . ., 1953. National Gallery of Art, Gift of Gary S. Davis. Copyright © 2013 The Allen Ginsberg LLC.  All rights reserved.

 

ginsberg-burroughs-kerouac-640

Burroughs and Kerouac

Ginsberg_Bob Donlon_Neal_Cassady

 

Ginsberg Neal_Cassady

Neal Cassady and his love of that year…

Ginsberg 1

 

Ginsberg _WilliamBurroughs

For those in the Bay Area some of the special events scheduled include:

 Beat Generation Photo Hunt
Film + Video Screenings: Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder