The Shepherd Express is an alternative monthly magazine published in Milwaukee, Wisconsin .
90-576: The paper originated in May 1982 as the Crazy Shepherd , its name derived from a line in Allen Ginsberg ’s poem “Footnotes to Howl ” (”Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion”). Its founders were a group of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee students, among them Jeff Hansen, Doug Hissom and Joe Porubcan, who operated it from a series of rented flats near the campus. After appearing sporadically,
180-575: A B.A in English and American Literature. According to The Poetry Foundation, Ginsberg spent several months in a mental institution after he pleaded insanity during a hearing. He was allegedly being prosecuted for harboring stolen goods in his dorm room. It was noted that the stolen property was not his, but belonged to an acquaintance. Ginsberg also took part in public readings at the Episcopal St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery which would later hold
270-600: A bookstore in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, a few months before his death. In 1993, Ginsberg visited the University of Maine at Orono to pay homage to the 90-year-old great Carl Rakosi . In 1950, Kerouac began studying Buddhism and shared what he learned from Dwight Goddard's Buddhist Bible with Ginsberg. Ginsberg first heard about the Four Noble Truths and such sutras as
360-715: A broke, drug-addicted Harry Smith . With the exception of a special guest appearance at the NYU Poetry Slam on February 20, 1997, Ginsberg gave what is thought to be his last reading at The Booksmith in San Francisco on December 16, 1996. Eastern religions The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East , South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western , African and Iranian religions . Eastern religions include: The East-West religious distinction (just like
450-528: A chance encounter on a New York City street with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (they both tried to catch the same cab), a Kagyu and Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist master, led to Trungpa becoming his friend and lifelong teacher. Ginsberg helped Trungpa and New York poet Anne Waldman in founding the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado . Ginsberg
540-436: A friendship with Ginsberg. Friendship with Kerouac or Burroughs might also apply, but both writers later strove to disassociate themselves from the name " Beat Generation ." Part of their dissatisfaction with the term came from the mistaken identification of Ginsberg as the leader. Ginsberg never claimed to be the leader of a movement. He claimed that many of the writers with whom he had become friends in this period shared many of
630-527: A letter to Ginsberg on a sheet of toilet paper. Baraka's independent publishing house Totem Press published Ginsberg's early work. Through a party organized by Baraka, Ginsberg was introduced to Langston Hughes while Ornette Coleman played saxophone. Later in his life, Ginsberg formed a bridge between the beat movement of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s, befriending, among others, Timothy Leary , Ken Kesey , Hunter S. Thompson , and Bob Dylan . Ginsberg gave his last public reading at Booksmith ,
720-471: A memorial service for him after his death. Ginsberg referred to his parents in a 1985 interview as "old-fashioned delicatessen philosophers". His mother was also an active member of the Communist Party and took Ginsberg and his brother Eugene to party meetings. Ginsberg later said that his mother "made up bedtime stories that all went something like: 'The good king rode forth from his castle, saw
810-658: A mental hospital; she would spend much of Ginsberg's youth in mental hospitals. His experiences with his mother and her mental illness were a major inspiration for his two major works, " Howl " and his long autobiographical poem " Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894–1956) ". When he was in junior high school, he accompanied his mother by bus to her therapist. The trip deeply disturbed Ginsberg—he mentioned it and other moments from his childhood in "Kaddish". His experiences with his mother's mental illness and her institutionalization are also frequently referred to in "Howl." For example, "Pilgrim State, Rockland, and Grey Stone's foetid halls"
900-525: A mutual friend, Carl Solomon , to whom he later dedicated his most famous poem "Howl." This poem is considered an autobiography of Ginsberg up to 1955, and a brief history of the Beat Generation through its references to his relationship to other Beat artists of that time. In 1948, in an apartment in East Harlem , Ginsberg experienced an auditory hallucination while masturbating and reading
990-553: A number of men, including Peter Orlovsky , his lifelong partner. Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that "Howl" was not obscene, asking: "Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?" Ginsberg was a Buddhist who extensively studied Eastern religious disciplines . He lived modestly, buying his clothing in second-hand stores and residing in apartments in New York City's East Village . One of his most influential teachers
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#17327838963611080-463: A potential that existed outside the strict conformist confines of post–World War II, McCarthy -era America. Ginsberg and Carr talked excitedly about a "New Vision" (a phrase adapted from Yeats' "A Vision"), for literature and America. Carr also introduced Ginsberg to Neal Cassady , for whom Ginsberg had a long infatuation. In the first chapter of his 1957 novel On the Road Kerouac described
1170-516: A relatively more monotheistic sense (caused by a differentiation between the parabrahman and atman ). A number of scholars even consider the Samkhya school of thought to have atheistic leanings. Buddhism is a non-theistic Dharmic religion and philosophy . Buddhism was founded around the 5th century BCE in present-day Nepal by Siddhartha Gautama , known to his followers as the Buddha, with
1260-605: A religion in Indonesia ( Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia ) and Hong Kong ( Confucian Academy ). Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk recognition of the existence of animistic spirits, ghosts and deities . It approves paying them proper respect, but at a more fundamental level encourages avoiding them. Confucian thought is notable as the framework upon which the syncretic Neo-Confucianism
1350-611: A short-lived weekly called the Metro . The Shepherd Express has been published since 1997 by Louis Fortis , an economist and former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly . Fortis assumed the role of editor in 2000. Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg ( / ˈ ɡ ɪ n z b ɜːr ɡ / ; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in
1440-475: A significant place in Shinto, reflecting the animistic veneration of the kami . "Folk", or "popular", Shinto places an emphasis on shamanism, particularly divination , spirit possession and faith healing . "Sect" Shinto is a diverse group including mountain-worshippers and Confucian Shintoists. Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social and political thought, influential in the history of East Asia. It
1530-399: A song in praise of Lord Krishna on William F. Buckley, Jr. 's TV show Firing Line on September 3, 1968, Buckley acceded and the poet chanted slowly as he played dolefully on a harmonium. According to Richard Brookhiser , an associate of Buckley's, the host commented that it was "the most unharried Krishna I've ever heard." At the 1967 Human Be-In in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park,
1620-532: A state of ecstasy. He was glad that Bhaktivedanta Swami, an authentic swami from India, was now trying to spread the chanting in America. Along with other counterculture ideologists like Timothy Leary , Gary Snyder , and Alan Watts , Ginsberg hoped to incorporate Bhaktivedanta Swami and his chanting into the hippie movement, and agreed to take part in the Mantra-Rock Dance concert and to introduce
1710-496: A strong warrior tradition which arose in defense of religious freedom and human rights from a tyrannical Moghul occupation of India. The group of East Asian religions or philosophies, also known as Taoic religions, may be considered as forming a group within world religions comparable to the Abrahamic or Dharmic groups. The Taoic faiths claim at least 500 million members worldwide. Taoism, also known as Daoism, comprises
1800-536: A variety of related religious and philosophical traditions. Categorization of Taoist sects and movements is very controversial. Taoist propriety and ethics places an emphasis on the Three Jewels of the Tao ; love, moderation, humility. Taoist theology focuses on doctrines of wu wei ("non-action"), spontaneity, humanism , relativism and emptiness. Most traditional Chinese Taoists are polytheistic. Taoism or Daoism
1890-664: A very parched collective mind." Tom McGrath wrote: "This could well turn out to have been a very significant moment in the history of England—or at least in the history of English Poetry." Soon after the bookshop reading, plans were hatched for the International Poetry Incarnation , which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on June 11, 1965. The event attracted an audience of 7,000, who heard readings and live and tape performances by
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#17327838963611980-429: A while during the burgeoning Beat generation's period of development. As a Barnard student, Elise Cowen extensively read the poetry of Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot , when she met Joyce Johnson and Leo Skir, among other Beat players. As Cowen had felt a strong attraction to darker poetry most of the time, Beat poetry seemed to provide an allure to what suggests a shadowy side of her persona. While at Barnard, Cowen earned
2070-472: A wide variety of figures, including Ginsberg, Adrian Mitchell , Alexander Trocchi , Harry Fainlight , Anselm Hollo , Christopher Logue , George MacBeth , Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti , Michael Horovitz , Simon Vinkenoog , Spike Hawkins and Tom McGrath . The event was organized by Ginsberg's friend, the filmmaker Barbara Rubin . Peter Whitehead documented the event on film and released it as Wholly Communion . A book featuring images from
2160-508: A year at a time in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and Benares (Varanasi). On his road to India he stayed two months in Athens ( August 29, 1961 – October 31, 1961) where he visited various sites such as Delphi , Mycines , Crete , and then continued his journey to Israel , Kenya and finally India . Also during this time, he formed friendships with some of the prominent young Bengali poets of
2250-460: Is duḥkha or suffering and the primary goal of Buddhism is the liberation of the practitioner from samsara or the endless cycle of death and rebirth . Buddhists hold that Buddhahood or Enlightenment is the solution to the problem of suffering. Jainism is the religion of the followers of the Jinas or Tirthankars (torch bearers and spiritual teachers of dharma). Parshvanatha and Mahavira ,
2340-629: Is Nirankar, a formless and shapeless one. Sikhs believe that there is one universal God who is the ultimate creator, sustainer, and destroyer. The Gurū Granth Sāhib are the central scriptures intended to preserve hymns and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and other saints from Hindu and Sufi traditions. Rituals, religious ceremonies or empty worship are considered of little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages. The tenets of Sikhism include (1) honest living/earning (2) tithing and giving alms (3) chanting on God. Sikhism also has
2430-624: Is a reference to institutions frequented by his mother and Carl Solomon , ostensibly the subject of the poem: Pilgrim State Hospital and Rockland State Hospital in New York and Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in New Jersey . This is followed soon by the line "with mother finally ******." Ginsberg later admitted the deletion was the expletive "fucked." He also says of Solomon in section three, "I'm with you in Rockland where you imitate
2520-568: Is a religion which began in Punjab of Northern India . It is founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and the nine human gurus that followed. He received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God in Sultanpur. His views rejected the traditional worships and caste of the Hindu faith. Freedom from reincarnation is tied to remembrance and repetition on one universal God. In Sikhism, God
2610-525: Is a type of belief, or a way of thinking about life. It is at least 2,500 years old and it comes from China. Taoism is now said to be a philosophy. Tao (or Dao, 道) is the name of the force or the "Way" that Taoists believe makes everything in the world. There are disagreements regarding the proper composition of this pantheon. Popular Taoism typically presents the Jade Emperor as the head deity . Intellectual, or "elite", Taoism usually presents Laozi and
2700-504: Is an oversimplification. Hinduism includes a diverse collection of schools whose beliefs span monotheism , polytheism , pantheism , monism and even atheism . For instance, the Advaita Vedanta school holds that there is only one causal entity ( Brahman ), which manifests itself into all the various living and non-living forms that we observe, whereas traditions such as Vaishnavism and Shaivism worship Vishnu and Shiva in
2790-650: Is considered by some to be the world's oldest extant major religion. Some consider Hinduism to originate from the Indus Valley civilization along with animism of the pre-Harappan migrants as well as the Indo-Aryan migrants. Hinduism contains a vast body of scripture , divided as revealed and remembered , expounding on dharma, or religious living. Hindus consider the Vedas and the Upanishads as being among
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2880-546: Is documented by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami in his biographical account Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta . Ginsberg donated money, materials, and his reputation to help the Swami establish the first temple, and toured with him to promote his cause. Despite disagreeing with many of Bhaktivedanta Swami's required prohibitions , Ginsberg often sang the Hare Krishna mantra publicly as part of his philosophy and declared that it brought
2970-527: Is highly debated amongst scholars whether Confucianism is a religion or simply an ethical system. The Chinese Communist Party does not recognize it as a religion. It is commonly associated with legalism but it rejects legalism for ritualism . It also endorses meritocracy as the ideal of nobility . Confucianism has a complicated system governing duties and etiquette in relationships. Confucian ethics focus on familial duty, loyalty and humaneness. There are organizations that specifically promote Confucianism as
3060-433: Is not only a biography of Ginsberg's experiences before 1955, but also a history of the Beat Generation. Ginsberg also later claimed that at the core of "Howl" were his unresolved emotions about his schizophrenic mother. Though "Kaddish" deals more explicitly with his mother, "Howl" in many ways is driven by the same emotions. "Howl" chronicles the development of many important friendships throughout Ginsberg's life. He begins
3150-551: The 1971 Bangladeshi genocide , exemplifying what literary critic Helen Vendler described as Ginsberg's persistent opposition to "imperial politics" and the "persecution of the powerless". His collection The Fall of America shared the annual National Book Award for Poetry in 1974. In 1979, he received the National Arts Club gold medal and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters . He
3240-667: The Crazy Shepherd eventually settled into a monthly schedule. Several of its founders went on to careers in the news media, including Jim McCarter, publisher of the Metro Times in Detroit ; Bill Conroy, editor of the San Antonio Business Journal ; and Bill Lueders, news editor at Isthmus in Madison . Other key co-founders include Jack Gladden, who helped find the money to publish the first edition of
3330-649: The Diamond Sutra at this time. Ginsberg's endorsement helped establish the Krishna movement within New York's bohemian culture. Ginsberg's spiritual journey began early on with his spontaneous visions, and continued with an early trip to India with Gary Snyder . Snyder had previously spent time in Kyoto to study at the First Zen Institute at Daitoku-ji Monastery. At one point, Snyder chanted
3420-489: The East-West culture distinction, and the implications that arise from it) is broad and not precise. Furthermore, geographical distinctions have less meaning in the current context of global transculturation . While many Western observers attempt to distinguish between Eastern philosophies and religions, this is a distinction that does not exist in some Eastern traditions. Also known as Dharmic religions , these are
3510-610: The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path as its central principles. According to the scriptures, the Four Noble Truths were revealed by the Buddha in his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. The main schools of Buddhism are divided into Theravada , Mahayana and Vajrayana . In academic circles, Mahayana is further divided into East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism . Buddhism teaches that life
3600-541: The Hungryalist poets of Bengal , especially Malay Roy Choudhury, who introduced Ginsberg to the three fish with one head of Indian emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar . The three fish symbolised coexistence of all thought, philosophy, and religion. In spite of Ginsberg's attraction to Eastern religions, the journalist Jane Kramer argues that he, like Whitman, adhered to an "American brand of mysticism" that
3690-800: The Mantra-Rock Dance , a musical event 1967 held at the Avalon Ballroom by the San Francisco Hare Krishna temple. It featured some leading rock bands of the time: Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin , the Grateful Dead , and Moby Grape , who performed there along with the Hare Krishna founder Bhaktivedanta Swami and donated proceeds to the Krishna temple. Ginsberg introduced Bhaktivedanta Swami to some three thousand hippies in
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3780-1054: The Merchant Marine to earn money to continue his education at Columbia. While at Columbia, Ginsberg contributed to the Columbia Review literary journal, the Jester humor magazine, won the Woodberry Poetry Prize, served as president of the Philolexian Society (literary and debate group), and joined Boar's Head Society (poetry society). He was a resident of Hartley Hall , where other Beat Generation poets such as Jack Kerouac and Herbert Gold also lived. Ginsberg has stated that he considered his required freshman seminar in Great Books, taught by Lionel Trilling , to be his favorite Columbia course. In 1948, he graduated from Columbia with
3870-613: The Paterson Morning Call . While in high school, Ginsberg became interested in the works of Walt Whitman , inspired by his teacher's passionate reading. In 1943, Ginsberg graduated from Eastside High School and briefly attended Montclair State College before entering Columbia University on a scholarship from the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Paterson. Ginsberg intended to study law at Columbia but later changed his major to literature . In 1945, he joined
3960-764: The Prajnaparamita , which in Ginsberg's words "blew my mind." His interest piqued, Ginsberg traveled to meet the Dalai Lama as well as the Karmapa at Rumtek Monastery. Continuing on his journey, Ginsberg met Dudjom Rinpoche in Kalimpong , who taught him: "If you see something horrible, don't cling to it, and if you see something beautiful, don't cling to it." After returning to the United States,
4050-590: The Three Pure Ones at the top of the pantheon. Nature and ancestor spirits are common in popular Taoism. But this sort of shamanism is eschewed for an emphasis on internal alchemy among the "elite" Taoists. Tao itself is rarely an object of worship, being treated more like the South Asian concept of atman . Shinto is an animistic folk religion practiced in Japan. Shinto literally means "the way of
4140-399: The fire escape of the apartment and then at the sky, he intuited that one had been crafted by human beings, while the other had been crafted by itself. He explained that this hallucination was not inspired by drug use, but said he sought to recapture the feeling of interconnectedness later with various drugs. Ginsberg moved to San Francisco during the 1950s. Before Howl and Other Poems
4230-530: The 1940s, he began friendships with Lucien Carr , William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac , forming the core of the Beat Generation . He vigorously opposed militarism , economic materialism , and sexual repression , and he embodied various aspects of this counterculture with his views on drugs, sex, multiculturalism , hostility to bureaucracy , and openness to Eastern religions . Best known for his poem " Howl ", Ginsberg denounced what he saw as
4320-543: The 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and the 1970 Black Panther rally at Yale campus Allen chanted "Om" repeatedly over a sound system for hours on end. Ginsberg further brought mantras into the world of rock and roll when he recited the Heart Sutra in the song " Ghetto Defendant ". The song appears on the 1982 album Combat Rock by British first wave punk band The Clash . Ginsberg came in touch with
4410-473: The 1970s, Ginsberg had two minor strokes which were first diagnosed as Bell's palsy , which gave him significant paralysis and stroke-like drooping of the muscles in one side of his face. Later in life, he also had constant minor ailments such as high blood pressure . Many of these symptoms were related to stress, but he never slowed down his schedule. Ginsberg won a 1974 National Book Award for The Fall of America (split with Adrienne Rich , Diving into
4500-451: The 23rd and 24th Tirthankars , respectively, revived the Jain religion and re-organized the shraman sangha. Jains highlight the practice of austerity. Jain philosophy states that the jiva , or soul, can escape the cycle of rebirth and death by freeing itself from karmic bondages. When nothing remains but the purity of the jiva, that person is called a jina , or winner, which is the origin of
4590-496: The Beat Generation in a broader sense. Ginsberg's mentor William Carlos Williams wrote an introductory letter to San Francisco Renaissance figurehead Kenneth Rexroth , who then introduced Ginsberg into the San Francisco poetry scene. There, Ginsberg also met three budding poets and Zen enthusiasts who had become friends at Reed College : Gary Snyder , Philip Whalen , and Lew Welch . In 1959, along with poets John Kelly, Bob Kaufman , A. D. Winans , and William Margolis, Ginsberg
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#17327838963614680-624: The Beat Generation, and his own political views, "Howl," his most famous poem, is still perhaps the best place to start. In 1957, Ginsberg surprised the literary world by abandoning San Francisco. After a spell in Morocco , he and Peter Orlovsky joined Gregory Corso in Paris. Corso introduced them to a shabby lodging house above a bar at 9 rue Gît-le-Cœur that was to become known as the Beat Hotel . They were soon joined by Burroughs and others. It
4770-555: The Dalai Lama, Tibetologists, and students were "guided by Allen's extensive notes on the contact sheets and images he'd circled with the intention to print." In 1960, he was treated for a tropical disease , and it is speculated that he contracted hepatitis from an unsterilized needle administered by a doctor, which played a role in his death 37 years later. Ginsberg was a lifelong smoker, and though he tried to quit for health and religious reasons, his busy schedule in later life made it difficult, and he always returned to smoking. In
4860-539: The Pony Stable Bar. Corso, recently released from prison, was supported by the Pony Stable patrons and was writing poetry there the night of their meeting. Ginsberg claims he was immediately attracted to Corso, who was straight, but understood homosexuality after three years in prison. Ginsberg was even more struck by reading Corso's poems, realizing Corso was "spiritually gifted." Ginsberg introduced Corso to
4950-402: The Wreck ). In 1986, Ginsberg was awarded the Golden Wreath by the Struga Poetry Evenings International Festival in Macedonia, the second American poet to be so awarded since W. H. Auden . At Struga, Ginsberg met with the other Golden Wreath winners, Bulat Okudzhava and Andrei Voznesensky . In 1989, Ginsberg appeared in Rosa von Praunheim 's award-winning film Silence = Death about
5040-545: The audience and led the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra . Music and chanting were both important parts of Ginsberg's live delivery during poetry readings. He often accompanied himself on a harmonium , and was often accompanied by a guitarist. It is believed that the Hindi and Buddhist poet Nagarjun had introduced Ginsberg to the harmonium in Banaras. According to Malay Roy Choudhury , Ginsberg refined his practice while learning from his relatives, including his cousin Savitri Banerjee. When Ginsberg asked if he could sing
5130-521: The bars, in the sunlight in the window." In a letter she wrote to Ginsberg's brother Eugene, she said, "God's informers come to my bed, and God himself I saw in the sky. The sunshine showed too, a key on the side of the window for me to get out. The yellow of the sunshine, also showed the key on the side of the window." These letters and the absence of a facility to recite kaddish inspired Ginsberg to write "Kaddish", which makes references to many details from Naomi's life, Ginsberg's experiences with her, and
5220-453: The destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States. San Francisco police and US Customs seized copies of "Howl" in 1956, and a subsequent obscenity trial in 1957 attracted widespread publicity due to the poem's language and descriptions of heterosexual and homosexual sex at a time when sodomy laws made (male) homosexual acts a crime in every state. The poem reflected Ginsberg's own sexuality and his relationships with
5310-435: The fight of gay artists in New York City for AIDS-education and the rights of HIV infected people. In 1993, the French Minister of Culture appointed Ginsberg a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres . Ginsberg continued to help his friends as much as he could: he gave money to Herbert Huncke out of his own pocket, regularly supplied neighbor Arthur Russell with an extension cord to power his home recording setup, and housed
5400-457: The film and some of the poems that were performed was also published under the same title by Lorrimer in the UK and Grove Press in US. Though the term "Beat" is most accurately applied to Ginsberg and his closest friends (Corso, Orlovsky, Kerouac, Burroughs, etc.), the term "Beat Generation" has become associated with many of the other poets Ginsberg met and became friends with in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A key feature of this term seems to be
5490-429: The foremost in authority, importance and antiquity. The Bhagavad Gītā , a treatise excerpted from the Mahābhārata , is sometimes called a summary of the spiritual teachings of the Vedas . It is difficult to identify any universal belief or practice in Hinduism, although prominent themes include: Dharma , Samsara , Karma , and Moksha . Hinduism is sometimes called a polytheistic religion , but this
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#17327838963615580-416: The gods". Many Japanese Shintoists also identify themselves as Buddhists. Japanese Pure Land Buddhism is deeply intertwined with the Shinto faith. Shinto practitioners commonly affirm tradition, family, nature, cleanliness and ritual observation as core values. Taoic influence is significant in their beliefs about nature and self-mastery. Ritual cleanliness is a central part of Shinto life. Shrines have
5670-443: The late 1980s to mid-1990s, its publisher was Martin "Marty" Genz and the Genz family were the newspaper's majority stockholders. In 1994, employees arranged for an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), which resulted in Genz and associate publisher and advertising director Dane Claussen leaving the newspaper and the Genz family selling its ownership stake. The paper was known from 1999 to 2000 as Shepherd Express Metro , after absorbing
5760-402: The letter, including the lines "the key is in the light" and "the key is in the window." In Ginsberg's first year at Columbia he met fellow undergraduate Lucien Carr , who introduced him to a number of future Beat writers, including Jack Kerouac , William S. Burroughs , and John Clellon Holmes . They bonded, because they saw in one another an excitement about the potential of American youth,
5850-470: The meeting between Ginsberg and Cassady. Kerouac saw them as the dark (Ginsberg) and light (Cassady) side of their "New Vision", a perception stemming partly from Ginsberg's association with communism, of which Kerouac had become increasingly distrustful. Though Ginsberg was never a member of the Communist Party, Kerouac named him "Carlo Marx" in On the Road . This was a source of strain in their relationship. Also, in New York, Ginsberg met Gregory Corso in
5940-525: The most important events in Beat mythos, known simply as "The Six Gallery reading " took place on October 7, 1955. The event, in essence, brought together the East and West Coast factions of the Beat Generation . Of more personal significance to Ginsberg, the reading that night included the first public presentation of "Howl," a poem that brought worldwide fame to Ginsberg and to many of the poets associated with him. An account of that night can be found in Kerouac's novel The Dharma Bums , describing how change
6030-485: The nickname "Beat Alice" as she had joined a small group of anti-establishment artists and visionaries known to outsiders as beatniks, and one of her first acquaintances at the college was the beat poet Joyce Johnson who later portrayed Cowen in her books, including "Minor Characters" and Come and Join the Dance , which expressed the two women's experiences in the Barnard and Columbia Beat community. Through his association with Elise Cowen, Ginsberg discovered that they shared
6120-437: The paper; Karen Gerrity and Kurt Buss, who helped to write and edited the early editions; and Jeff Worman, the paper's art director, who penned the science-fiction Hourly Why column as well produced the Zeal at Zero cartoons along with illustrations and spoofs. In 1987 the Shepherd Express was formed in a merger with the Express , a monthly music paper founded in 1979 by Kevn Kinney and David Luhrssen. Kinney went on to form
6210-564: The poem with "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness", which sets the stage for Ginsberg to describe Cassady and Solomon, immortalizing them into American literature. This madness was the "angry fix" that society needed to function—madness was its disease. In the poem, Ginsberg focused on "Carl Solomon! I'm with you in Rockland", and, thus, turned Solomon into an archetypal figure searching for freedom from his "straightjacket". Though references in most of his poetry reveal much about his biography, his relationship to other members of
6300-453: The poetry of William Blake , which he later referred to as his "Blake vision". Ginsberg claimed to have heard the voice of God—also described as the "voice of the Ancient of Days "—or of Blake himself reading " Ah! Sun-flower ", " The Sick Rose " and " The Little Girl Lost ". The experience lasted several days, with him believing that he had witnessed the interconnectedness of the universe; Ginsberg recounted that after looking at latticework on
6390-422: The president had implanted listening devices in their home and that her mother-in-law was trying to kill her. Her suspicion of those around her caused Naomi to draw closer to young Allen, "her little pet," as Bill Morgan says in his biography of Ginsberg, titled I Celebrate Myself: The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg . She also tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists and was soon taken to Greystone ,
6480-557: The religious sects originating in the Indian subcontinent , which includes Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism , Sikhism , etc. The theologies and philosophies of these religions have several concepts in common, such as dharma , karma , maya and samsara . Hinduism originated on the Indian subcontinent and was related to many other religious traditions outside the subcontinent, in places like ancient Central Asia and ancient Iran. It
6570-406: The rest of his inner circle. In their first meeting at the Pony Stable, Corso showed Ginsberg a poem about a woman who lived across the street from him and sunbathed naked in the window. Amazingly, the woman happened to be Ginsberg's girlfriend that he was living with during one of his forays into heterosexuality. Ginsberg took Corso over to their apartment. There the woman proposed sex with Corso, who
6660-585: The rock band Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ in Atlanta . Luhrssen returned to the Shepherd Express in late 1994 as arts and entertainment editor, a position he still holds. The Shepherd Express also received national media attention after Timothy W. Maier wrote a series of articles about former Milwaukee Police Officer Lawrencia (Bambi) Bembenek. The series of articles produced new evidence questioning the conviction of one of Wisconsin's most famous inmates. During
6750-542: The same intentions and themes. Some of these friends include: David Amram , Bob Kaufman ; Diane di Prima ; Jim Cohn ; poets associated with the Black Mountain College such as Charles Olson , Robert Creeley , and Denise Levertov ; poets associated with the New York School such as Frank O'Hara and Kenneth Koch . LeRoi Jones before he became Amiri Baraka , who, after reading "Howl", wrote
6840-403: The shade of my mother," once again showing the association between Solomon and his mother. Ginsberg received a letter from his mother after her death responding to a copy of "Howl" he had sent her. It admonished Ginsberg to be good and stay away from drugs; she says, "The key is in the window, the key is in the sunlight at the window—I have the key—Get married Allen don't take drugs—the key is in
6930-461: The suffering workers and healed them.'" Of his father Ginsberg said: "My father would go around the house either reciting Emily Dickinson and Longfellow under his breath or attacking T. S. Eliot for ruining poetry with his ' obscurantism .' I grew suspicious of both sides." Naomi Ginsberg had schizophrenia which often manifested as paranoid delusions , disordered thinking and multiple suicide attempts . She would claim, for example, that
7020-496: The swami to the Haight-Ashbury hippie community. On January 17, 1967, Ginsberg helped plan and organize a reception for Bhaktivedanta Swami at San Francisco International Airport , where fifty to a hundred hippies greeted the Swami, chanting Hare Krishna in the airport lounge with flowers in hands. To further support and promote Bhaktivendata Swami's message and chanting in San Francisco, Allen Ginsberg agreed to attend
7110-430: The term Jain. Karma is viewed as an accumulation that burdens the soul, causing attachment and suffering. Ahimsa , or non-violence, is central to Jain faith, philosophy and practice. It is interpreted very strictly as prohibiting all forms of harm to other living beings. Due to this, Jainism requires a strict vegetarian lifestyle. Ahimsa also applies to speaking, as one's words can cause harm and suffering. Sikhism
7200-502: The time including Shakti Chattopadhyay and Sunil Gangopadhyay . Ginsberg had several political connections in India; most notably Pupul Jayakar who helped him extend his stay in India when the authorities were eager to expel him. In May 1965, Ginsberg arrived in London, and offered to read anywhere for free. Shortly after his arrival, he gave a reading at Better Books , which was described by Jeff Nuttall as "the first healing wind on
7290-622: Was "rooted in humanism and in a romantic and visionary ideal of harmony among men." The Allen Ginsberg Estate and Jewel Heart International partnered to present "Transforming Minds: Kyabje Gelek Rimpoche and Friends", a gallery and online exhibition of images of Gelek Rimpoche by Allen Ginsberg, a student with whom he had an "indissoluble bond," in 2021 at Tibet House US in New York City. Fifty negatives from Ginsberg's Stanford University photo archive celebrated "the unique relationship between Allen and Rimpoche." The selection of never-before presented images, featuring great Tibetan masters including
7380-557: Was Tibetan Buddhist Chögyam Trungpa , the founder of the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado . At Trungpa's urging, Ginsberg and poet Anne Waldman started The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics there in 1974. For decades, Ginsberg was active in political protests across a range of issues from the Vietnam War to the war on drugs . His poem " September on Jessore Road " drew attention to refugees fleeing
7470-710: Was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1995 for his book Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986–1992 . Ginsberg was born into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey , and grew up in nearby Paterson . He was the second son of Louis Ginsberg , also born in Newark, a schoolteacher and published poet, and the former Naomi Levy, born in Nevel (Russia) and a fervent Marxist . As a teenager, Ginsberg began to write letters to The New York Times about political issues, such as World War II and workers' rights . He published his first poems in
7560-512: Was a productive, creative time for all of them. There, Ginsberg began his epic poem "Kaddish", Corso composed Bomb and Marriage , and Burroughs (with help from Ginsberg and Corso) put together Naked Lunch from previous writings. This period was documented by the photographer Harold Chapman , who moved in at about the same time, and took pictures constantly of the residents of the "hotel" until it closed in 1963. During 1962–1963, Ginsberg and Orlovsky travelled extensively across India, living half
7650-555: Was also involved with Krishnaism . He had started incorporating chanting the Hare Krishna mantra into his religious practice in the mid-1960s. After learning that A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada , the founder of the Hare Krishna movement in the Western world had rented a store front in New York, he befriended him, visiting him often and suggesting publishers for his books, and a fruitful relationship began. This relationship
7740-564: Was banned for obscenity. The ban became a cause célèbre among defenders of the First Amendment , and was later lifted, after Judge Clayton W. Horn declared the poem to possess redeeming artistic value. Ginsberg and Shig Murao , the City Lights manager who was jailed for selling "Howl," became lifelong friends. Ginsberg claimed at one point that all of his work was an extended biography (like Kerouac's Duluoz Legend ). "Howl"
7830-484: Was collected from audience members to buy jugs of wine, and Ginsberg reading passionately, drunken, with arms outstretched. Ginsberg's principal work, "Howl," is well known for its opening line: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked [...]." "Howl" was considered scandalous at the time of its publication, because of the rawness of its language. Shortly after its 1956 publication by San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore , it
7920-591: Was one of the founders of the Beatitude poetry magazine. Wally Hedrick —a painter and co-founder of the Six Gallery —approached Ginsberg in mid-1955 and asked him to organize a poetry reading at the Six Gallery . At first, Ginsberg refused, but once he had written a rough draft of "Howl," he changed his "fucking mind," as he put it. Ginsberg advertised the event as "Six Poets at the Six Gallery." One of
8010-554: Was published in 1956 by City Lights , he worked as a market researcher. In 1954, in San Francisco, Ginsberg met Peter Orlovsky (1933–2010), with whom he fell in love and who remained his lifelong partner. Selections from their correspondence have been published. Also in San Francisco, Ginsberg met members of the San Francisco Renaissance (James Broughton, Robert Duncan, Madeline Gleason and Kenneth Rexroth) and other poets who would later be associated with
8100-399: Was still very young and fled in fear. Ginsberg introduced Corso to Kerouac and Burroughs and they began to travel together. Ginsberg and Corso remained lifelong friends and collaborators. Shortly after this period in Ginsberg's life, he became romantically involved with Elise Nada Cowen after meeting her through Alex Greer, a philosophy professor at Barnard College whom she had dated for
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