Because I came of age in the late sixties, I was able to follow Ginsberg’s celebrated antics as they splayed out in that heady - at times turbulent - era of political activism.
In addition to his outspoken controversial views on "Big Brother" - and issues related to intellectual freedom and the right to unchecked artistic expression in the land of the free - the well-educated writer also sought acceptance for homosexuals long before the term “gay” had ever been coined.
For this reason alone, young men and women of the same-sex persuasion, should hustle over to the Roxie theatre to catch a documentary on his life, with the ultimate aim of paying homage to a free (but troubled spirit) that helped pave the way to tolerance.
There were many highs-and-lows in his remarkable life.
Mostly up, though.
Ginsberg was not only in top form when he attended the Chicago 8 trial back in the sixties - but in his element - when he stridently marched through the “politically-charged” streets alongside a mob of angry protester's in a highly-volatile moment in U.S. history.
As the frenzied media scrambled to document the unprecedented events running rampant in the mean streets of Chicago - which appeared to be rooted in revolutionary anti-establishment philosophies - many shocked Americans around the Nation became familiar with the outspoken poet for the first time.
“Pinko fag,” was the cry of the day!
Years later, in the documentary “Chicago 10” - a filmmaker strategically embedded a handful of potent news clips of Ginsberg into the footage - to underscore the Beat poet's important contributions to the cause.
Chicago 10Movie ReviewPost: 02/28/08http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/02/chicago-10documentary-distorts-truth.htmlAlthough I was not inspired to join in with the dedicated political activists of the day, I casually observed from the sidelines without venturing too close to the Ginsberg gang.
I was influenced by Ginsberg’s creative sensibilities, though.
When I flipped open an artsy-fartsy copy of “Howl” in a bookstore one day at the tender age of 16 (at Coles in downtown Toronto) - and read a couple of stanzas out-of-the-blue - my heart raced.
Understandably.
In plain unadorned English, Ginsberg wailed passionately on the page.
“Your cock is holy! Your ass is holy”
It wasn’t until a couple of years ago, that a series of synchronised events prompted me to delve into the persona of Ginsberg, during a brief stay in North Beach (San Francisco).
One night, I stumbled across a “Jack Kerouac”celebration at the “Beat Museum” (stocked to the rafters with intriguing memorabilia) on Broadway in the heart of the red light district, and the proverbial door opened wide.
Though familiar with the best-selling classic “On the Road” - and its impact in Literary circles when it was first published - background on the writer’s merry band of friends eluded me over the years.
Now, I rested comfortably on a perch surrounded by Kerouac pals and relatives, as they shared intimate moments with rapt fans.
One enthusiastic stranger in attendance informed me that there was going to be an upcoming live performance of Howl staged at a local Cultural Center downtown in the near future.
So, I snatched up the info, and made a beeline to catch the much-ballyhooed event on the night in question.
For those of you in the dark, it should be noted for the record, that “Howl“ ended up being the author’s profoundest most-celebrated works of poetic fiction.
In part, the lofty accomplishment was due to the fact the poem was at the heart of a landmark legal proceeding, that ultimately tested obscenity laws in the highest U.S. courts.
I penned a review on the theatrical event which was a triumphant success.
Post: 02/13/08http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2008/02/howlginsberg-controversy-recalled.htmlTonight, as I skirted faceless strangers and silently slipped along the Broadway strip slightly out-of-reach, a sea of emotion swept over me
As a canopy of stars started to play hide-and-seek with a mystical fog that wafted in off the inky-black bay, it dawned on me that Ginsberg and Kerouac once strode this well-worn path - too - in kinder gentler days.
Meanwhile, the “Beat” museum stands a living memorial, that keeps the memory of Kerouac and his cohorts alive.
As I sip on a can of Mike’s Harder Lemonade, and toy with a turn-of--phrase or two, I am humbled by the legacies Mars. Kerouac & Ginsberg left behind.
Indeed, after God created Ginsberg, he broke the mold.
This weekend intend to take in the documentary - "The life & Times of Allen Ginsberg" - for good reason..
With the upcoming feature film "Howl" (starring James Franco) on the horizon, now may be a good time to catch up on Ginsberg trivia.
The doc screening locally was directed by Jerry Aronson (academy award nominee) and follows Ginsberg from his youth, through the Beat Generation of the '50s (when he initially wrote "Howl"), his political activism in the heady 60's, and into old age.
See 'ya there!
James Franco plays Ginsberg in upcoming "Howl"
