What do you think?
Rate this book
Cartas de amor ambiguo
«Las cartas hablan por sí mismas en lo relativo al amor, el carácter inquisitivo y la constancia. Aunque algunos aspectos del afecto y la dependencia por mi parte (y la de Neal) se antojen ahora histéricos, falsos o hechos de autoengaños, es evidente la profunda buena voluntad mutua ("¿Cuál es ahora el tanteo cósmico?" "Tienes que salvarme") que ha sobrevivido al amartelamiento erótico, la ausencia, la cárcel, el errar por el mundo, los matrimonios y el desencanto. »Nos vimos mucho en los sesenta en el Magic Bus de Ken Kesey. En 1967, tras un largo viaje desde Belligham, Wash (donde los tres dirigíamos un curso de composición inglesa), Neal y yo pasamos una noche juntos, desnudos, con su chica de turno, en un hotel de Van Ness (San Francisco). Su piel estaba fn’a, helada, sudorosa, cadavérica —consecuencia química de semanas de excesos con anfetaminas— e irritable. Creo que ésa fue la primera vez que salí voluntariamente de la cama compartida con Neal, desesperado al fin; y fui a pasear por la calle, meditando sobre el milagro del mortífero destino que se había apoderado del anterior idealismo de mi romance con él.» Allen Ginsberg Además de su carácter modélico como héroe de la «generación beat» (de él se sirvió Kerouac para construir el personaje central de En el camino, Dean Moriarty), que es sobradamente conocido, Neal Cassady mantuvo durante casi un cuarto de siglo una menos aireada, ambigua y tormentosa relación de amor-sexo-amistad con Alien Ginsberg, que aparece claramente reflejada, con todos sus altibajos, en esta correspondencia sacada a la luz por su viuda, Carolyn Cassady, y organizada y anotada por Barry Gifford, con un epílogo casi funerario del propio Allen Ginsberg.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
276 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1977
7 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Allen Ginsberg
489 books4,090 followersAllen Ginsberg was a groundbreaking American poet and activist best known for his central role in the Beat Generation and for writing the landmark poem Howl. Born in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, to Jewish parents, Ginsberg grew up in a household shaped by both intellectualism and psychological struggle. His father, Louis Ginsberg, was a published poet and a schoolteacher, while his mother, Naomi, suffered from severe mental illness, which deeply affected Ginsberg and later influenced his writing—most notably in his poem Kaddish.
As a young man, Ginsberg attended Columbia University, where he befriended other future Beat luminaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. These relationships formed the core of what became known as the Beat Generation—a loose-knit group of writers and artists who rejected mainstream American values in favor of personal liberation, spontaneity, spiritual exploration, and radical politics.
Ginsberg rose to national prominence in 1956 with the publication of Howl and Other Poems, released by City Lights Books in San Francisco. Howl, an emotionally charged and stylistically experimental poem, offered an unfiltered vision of America’s underbelly. It included candid references to homosexuality, drug use, and mental illness—subjects considered taboo at the time. The poem led to an obscenity trial, which ultimately concluded in Ginsberg’s favor, setting a precedent for freedom of speech in literature.
His work consistently challenged social norms and addressed themes of personal freedom, sexual identity, spirituality, and political dissent. Ginsberg was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in much of the United States, and he became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his life. His poetry often intertwined the personal with the political, blending confessional intimacy with a broader critique of American society.
Beyond his literary achievements, Ginsberg was also a dedicated activist. He protested against the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, and later, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He was present at many pivotal cultural and political moments of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention and various countercultural gatherings. His spiritual journey led him to Buddhism, which deeply influenced his writing and worldview. He studied under Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa and helped establish the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Ginsberg’s later years were marked by continued literary output and collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Clash. His poetry collections, including Reality Sandwiches, Planet News, and The Fall of America, were widely read and respected. He received numerous honors for his work, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974.
He died of liver cancer in 1997 at the age of 70. Today, Allen Ginsberg is remembered not only as a pioneering poet, but also as a courageous voice for free expression, social justice, and spiritual inquiry. His influence on American literature and culture remains profound and enduring.
As a young man, Ginsberg attended Columbia University, where he befriended other future Beat luminaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Neal Cassady. These relationships formed the core of what became known as the Beat Generation—a loose-knit group of writers and artists who rejected mainstream American values in favor of personal liberation, spontaneity, spiritual exploration, and radical politics.
Ginsberg rose to national prominence in 1956 with the publication of Howl and Other Poems, released by City Lights Books in San Francisco. Howl, an emotionally charged and stylistically experimental poem, offered an unfiltered vision of America’s underbelly. It included candid references to homosexuality, drug use, and mental illness—subjects considered taboo at the time. The poem led to an obscenity trial, which ultimately concluded in Ginsberg’s favor, setting a precedent for freedom of speech in literature.
His work consistently challenged social norms and addressed themes of personal freedom, sexual identity, spirituality, and political dissent. Ginsberg was openly gay at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in much of the United States, and he became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his life. His poetry often intertwined the personal with the political, blending confessional intimacy with a broader critique of American society.
Beyond his literary achievements, Ginsberg was also a dedicated activist. He protested against the Vietnam War, nuclear proliferation, and later, U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. He was present at many pivotal cultural and political moments of the 1960s and 1970s, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention and various countercultural gatherings. His spiritual journey led him to Buddhism, which deeply influenced his writing and worldview. He studied under Tibetan teacher Chögyam Trungpa and helped establish the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Ginsberg’s later years were marked by continued literary output and collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan and The Clash. His poetry collections, including Reality Sandwiches, Planet News, and The Fall of America, were widely read and respected. He received numerous honors for his work, including the National Book Award for Poetry in 1974.
He died of liver cancer in 1997 at the age of 70. Today, Allen Ginsberg is remembered not only as a pioneering poet, but also as a courageous voice for free expression, social justice, and spiritual inquiry. His influence on American literature and culture remains profound and enduring.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 7, 2008
Once my thesis is complete, I will be reading this - it's out-of-print but I found a good copy from alibris.com.
4/7/08 - Couldn't wait to complete the thesis - needed a break from the research. I'm surprised this book is out-of-print - a vital collection of Beat letters. This collection is much more graphic than subsequent collections that have been published.
4/7/08 - Couldn't wait to complete the thesis - needed a break from the research. I'm surprised this book is out-of-print - a vital collection of Beat letters. This collection is much more graphic than subsequent collections that have been published.
February 10, 2020
I got obsessed with the Beats in my teens and early 20s. I was fascinated by why Neal Cassady was so fascinating to both Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. When I finished, my journal entry from that time says it was good but "kind of depressing."
May 21, 2011
You have to be into this whole beatnik scene and a fan of the Kerouac crowd to care about this at all. Also, I should issue a homophobe alert... :)
August 12, 2025
As usual with reading a book of letters not all are interesting. Overall, interesting to read knowing the histories of the persons writing. Second book I was able to finish post-Eaton Fire. Other books read this year were for class and not worth mentioning.
June 3, 2018
Great collection of letters, primarily between Allen and Neal. They certain didn't respect women very much.
July 2, 2022
Acquired Oct 15, 1987
The Word, Montreal, Quebec
The Word, Montreal, Quebec
Read
August 25, 2017Biitnikest ei saa mul iial villand.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews