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Allen Ginsberg: A Biography
by
Barry Miles
In part thanks to early friendships with renegades such as Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, and William Burroughs, and his publication of the electrifying and brilliant Howl, Allen Ginsberg occupies a significant and enduring position in American literature. Following Ginsberg's death in 1997, Barry Miles, drawing both on his long friendship with the poet and on Ginsberg's jour...more
Paperback, print on demand, 627 pages
Published
November 1st 2001
by Virgin Books
(first published 1989)
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Barry Miles is the ultimate Beats know-all. This book was amazing.
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Erik Graff
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Recommends it for:
Ginsberg fans
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biography
Ginsberg's Howl was an important poem in high school, the City Lights publication of it being proffered to my friend Richard by his older brother Steve and read by Richard, Hank and myself, some of it aloud, in the basement of Richard and Steve's parents, a regular hang-out in those days. Later, I obtained my own copy, reading it silently, and went on to read Walt Whitman on my own, beyond the little that had been assigned for English class, so similar were their styles.
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I love Barry Miles. When I took "The Life and Works of William S. Burroughs" in college he came and spoke to our class. I have read several of his books and have enjoyed them all.
If you're looking for a detailed narrative of Ginsberg's social activities and reading habits, this book is worth reading. People interested in the Beats and the American sub/counter/whatever-culture of the 1950's and 60's might also find it worthwhile. There's not much here in the realm of captivating assessment of Ginsberg's poetry, and the writing is a bit dull at times, but for a 6 dollar used book, this was worth every penny.
A very readable and sympathetic portrait of this great poet who led an incredible and quixotic life. The book will encourage you to seek out more of the great man's work and enhance your understanding, not just of Ginsberg's work but of modern poetry generally.
This is one of the best Biographies about Ginsberg. Barry Miles really brings Ginsberg too life in this beautifully written work. If you want to learn more about Ginsberg his life and work, you really can't go wrong with this book.
A great biography that sometimes gets bogged down in excessive detail about hard drugs and sex, but it's still a great resource for anyone intersted in this fascinating figure in American poetry.
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Author of several books and biographies, most pertaining to musicians and the sixties.
Miles has written biographies of Paul McCartney, The Beatles, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Frank Zappa, Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg, in addition to books on John Lennon, The Beatles and The Clash.
He is occasionally inaccurately credited as "Miles Mabbett" due to his...more
More about Barry Miles...
Miles has written biographies of Paul McCartney, The Beatles, William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Frank Zappa, Charles Bukowski and Allen Ginsberg, in addition to books on John Lennon, The Beatles and The Clash.
He is occasionally inaccurately credited as "Miles Mabbett" due to his...more
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