Two things

Two Ginsberg things today.

First, I invoked Ginsberg in a Facebook post about the famous "topless parade" going on in Farmington as I type this (while I sit in class proctoring a quiz). I said the Allen Ginsberg in me wanted to attend: nude. Another commenter said he wouldn't want to see Allen Ginsberg nude. I mentioned that I had Ginsberg's poem, "America," on my desk at that very moment. He replied as follows:

I performed America at a speech tournament as an undergrad - had a coach who changed the word fuck to hell, and my judge was a big Ginsberger and wrote on my critique, "You changed the words, so fuck you." I never let my speech coach change anything I read after that.

I laughed outloud. One of the funniest, best, unsolicited beat stories I've read in a long time!

Second, I happened on this today, and thought you might enjoy it: Ginsberg in the 50s.