Howl.

[Heidi]

Yeah, I expect this will sink like a stone, but for anyone who hasn't read Allen Ginsberg's "Howl, " have a taste of one of my favorite poems of all time:

Howl
by Allen Ginsberg

HOWL

For Carl Solomon

I

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machin-
ery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
up smoking in the supernatural darkness of
cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities
contemplating jazz,


The full text of Howl: http://members.tripod.com/~Sprayberry/poems/howl.txt

[Chan790]

1. It's one of my favorites too

I read it aloud (the whole thing), slowly rising in pitch, volume and intensity, for a men's mock beauty pagent while wearing a dress, sash. tiara and wig when I was in college where, being a very catholic college, it went over like a ton of bricks.

I'd been warned that performing it would result in disciplinary action and most of the audience just sat there while the cognitive dissonance set in...I was supposed to be one of the "good kids": Greek Council President, RA, Residence Hall Association Board member, university award winner, etc. I was asked afterwards if I'd lost my mind.

My professors, my friends and my fraternity brothers gave me a standing O which made it worth it though. I finished second to a violinist performing hymns. :-(

[Heidi]

2. Right on, Chan790.

My apologies for not welcoming you sooner. :hi:

[Chan790]

8. Thank You.

I've been here since March actually but I tend to lurk. :hide:

[Wapsie B]

3. Damn that was scary.

For a minute I thought you were turning into a werewolf or something.

;-)

nice poem

[Heidi]

4. Glad you liked it, bushwentawol.

I love Beat poetry. :thumbsup:

[Wapsie B]

7. So do I.

I have thought about professional storytelling.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

5. It's a fantastic poem

A friend of mine, on a visit to America, brought me back a copy, complete with bag, from City Lights. Easily one of the best gifts I've ever received.

I've also got a CD with Ginsberg reading it, along with several other poems. You can download a reading at archive.org:
http://www.archive.org/audio/audio-details-db.php?collectionid=naropa_allen_ginsberg_and_michael&collection=naropa

Finally don't forget:
http://www.plagiarist.com/poetry/?wid=3744

[WCGreen]

6. Allen Ginsberg and Tom Waits

collaborated on a musical poem...

America.....