Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Two tributes to Allen Ginsberg

Click here to read an insightful article on Autostraddle (what a great name for a feminist magazine for lesbian, bisexual, and otherwise inclined ladies), about Allen Ginsberg's continuing influence on young literary hopefuls, especially, as the article says, the "queer ones."

This is actually a piece about another piece, "Ginsberg's Failure," in Longshot magazine by Steve Silberman. Longshot is submitted to, compiled, edited, and published all within the space of 48 hours. The article can be viewed here. At the age of 19, Silberman was one of Ginsberg's "apprentices" when the latter was 51.

If you've been following along, you know that a practice of mine is visiting the graves of famous writers, reading their works, and drinking some good Bushmills. Until Silberman's article, I never knew that a third of Ginsberg's ashes
are buried in the family plot outside of Newark Airport, not far from the neon Budweiser sign.

I sense a trip through Newark in my future.

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