Allen Ginsberg Archives - Sensitive Skin Magazine

Anne Waldman: the Poet vs. the Warring God

John Pietaro

This is my vision…days on earth/Days when the weather changed course When we lost our minds/When leaders failed us/ There was no wisdom. From the opening strains of “Extinction Aria”, the lead selection on Anne Wa...

SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNALS January – July 1960 by Allen Ginsberg – review

Marc Olmsted

SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNALS January - July 1960 by Allen Ginsberg edited by Michael Schumacher University of Minnesota Press $29.95 First, I was immediately struck by how much unpublished poetry or early drafts (such as "Aether" and "Magic Psalm") are contained in this volume - far beyond any previous journal publications of Allen Ginsberg. In fact, he mostly wrote his journal as poetry during this period. Granted much is not A-list material, as Allen correctly understood in not publishing a lot of it. But for earnest scholars and fans, it is a gold mine. There are also amazing little notations of events, such as seeing Montgomery Clift's "Raintree County" ("he too looks sad" - in fact, Monty's face-rearranging car crash occurred in the middle of filming that picture). Likewise a long dream about Marlon Brando, who imitates Jack Kerouac's voice at one point(!) and includes a dream discussion of how great Orson Welles' Magn...

S02E13 – Sharon Mesmer

Bernard Meisler

Poet and teacher Sharon Mesmer in conversation with Bernard Meisler. photograph of Sharon Mesmer by Ester Levine I always enjoy speaking with the great Sharon Mesmer, one of my favorite poets and/or people! We ...

Uncle Skallywag by Shiv Mirabito – Review

Andy Clausen & Pamela Twining

The poet carries the Universe on his shoulders (p 20). Thus, Shiv Mirabito, in his beautiful and provocative new book, Uncle Skallywag, published by Shivastan Press in Kathmandu, Nepal, on handmade paper, leaps bravely into the fray - outsider art, renegade artists, poems and poets gone before, Ginsberg, Ira Cohen, Janine Pommy Vega, Corso, and many others. This book is a nifty sweep of poetry influenced by Whitman, the Beats, Buddhism, Anthropological travel, thousands of movies, and rock n roll. Let’s peruse some of them. AMERICAN VALUES, sharply satirical, is all about freedom becoming synonymous with amassing money and adoration of Self. “I know I am the crown of creation I have dominion over all that I see I am totally sure because I saw it on TV” (p13) The eponymous UNCLE SKALLYWAG defines, outlines, and reinforces the fiercely compassionate persona of Skallywag, the friendly Outsider, the goodhear...

S02E04 – Eve Packer

Bernard Meisler

NYC poet Eve Packer in conversation with Bernard Meisler. Eve Packer Great NYC poet Eve Packer and I spoke about the loss of our dear friend Steve Cannon, Jeffrey Epstein (Note: this was recorded in mid-July), her own ...

An Interview with John Giorno

Thaddeus Rutkowski

First published in Terminal! magazine, No. 14 (Philadelphia, ca. 1982) Conducted in Giorno’s home, in the building on the Bowery, Manhattan, where William S. Burroughs had his Bunker, by Thaddeus Rutkowski. TR: To an...

S02E02 – Gerald Nicosia

Bernard Meisler

Gerald Nicosia in conversation with Bernard Meisler. Gerald Nicosia An absolute must-listen for all fans of Jack Kerouac and the Beats. Gerry and I spoke about his role as an advisor to the film version of "On The Road...

The Criminal: The Invisibility of Parallel Forces by Max Wolf Valerio – Review

Marc Olmsted

The Criminal: The Invisibility of Parallel Forces by Max Wolf Valerio Eoagh Books, $20.00 Reviewed By Marc Olmsted MAX WOLF VALERIO said, “Before I transitioned, I was 19 and showed Allen Ginsberg a poem of mine ...

Outside Looking In by T.C. Boyle – Review

Vincent Zangrillo

Outside Looking In by T.C. Boyle Harper Collins 2019 $27.99 Reviewed by Vincent Zangrillo TC Boyle’s new novel, Outside Looking In, explores the luminous world of Dr. Timothy Leary’s early years, while LSD w...

Review

Something’s Happening But You Don’t Know What It Is

Vincent Zangrillo

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese Reviewed by Vincent Zangrillo I’ll tell you my own Bob Dylan story. Or maybe two or three. I can guarantee you that these are the god’s honest truth, ...

First Thought, Best Thought

Richard Modiano

The expression “first thought, best thought” is usually attributed to Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg indeed popularized the phrase but it was actually coined by his Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Further, there is ...

Episode 20 – Marc Olmsted

Bernard Meisler

Marc Olmsted in conversation with Bernard Meisler. Marc Olmsted with an original Brion Gysin dream machine Marc Olmsted is a poet whose work has appeared in a million different places, he's a teacher, of both writing...

Podcasts

DON’T HIDE THE MADNESS—William S. Burroughs in Conversation with Allen Ginsberg–reviewed

Marc Olmsted

DON'T HIDE THE MADNESS William S. Burroughs in Conversation with Allen Ginsberg (Steven Taylor, ed.) Three Rooms Press $26.00 Those lucky enough to have socialized with William Burroughs report the best situations had...

Review

Snail Poem

Peter Orlovsky

Snail Poem Make my grave shape of heart so like a flower be free aired & handsome felt, Grave root pillow, tung up from grave & wigle at blown up clowd. Ear turnes close to underlayer of green felt moss & sound o...

Hard to Be a Saint in the City: The Spiritual Vision of the Beats – Review

Marc Olmsted

Hard to Be a Saint in the City: The Spiritual Vision of the Beats by Robert Inchausti $16.95, Shambhala Books The title of this collection comes from a rather obscure Bruce Springsteen song that David Bowie covered and ...