First Thought: Conversations with Allen Ginsberg

Description

Here through previously uncollected interviews, we encounter Allen Ginsberg elaborating on how speech, as much as writing and reading, and even poetry, is an act of art. Revealing, enlightening, and often just plain entertaining, Allen Ginsberg in conversation is the quintessential twentieth-century American poet as we have never before encountered him: fully present, in pitch-perfect detail.

Michael Schumacher is author of the acclaimed biography of Allen Ginsberg, Dharma Lion, and editor of The Essential Ginsberg. His books Torn in Two: The Sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell and One Man's Survival on the Open Sea, November's Fury: The Deadly Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913, Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Birth of the NBA are also published by Minnesota.

"With a knowledge born out of personal interviews conducted with Allen Ginsberg himself, Michael Schumacher understands more about Ginsberg's poetry than anyone alive. This book presents Ginsberg's own words in a thought-provoking, entertaining, and intelligent way. It is destined to be a perfect companion to any study of Ginsberg, the poet."-Bill Morgan, author of The Typewriter is Holy: The Complete, Uncensored History of the Beat Generation "Michael Schumacher has dug deep and come up with a treasure trove of Ginsbergian thought-on topics ranging from sex and drugs and rock & roll to the genesis of "Howl" and On the Road. We even get a writing how-to via the transcript of a Naropa classroom discussion between Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, and William S. Burroughs. This fascinating compendium is the perfect addition to the Beat canon."-Holly George-Warren, author of A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton and editor of The Rolling Stone Book of the Beats "Schumacher provides an introduction to First Thought that ought to make Ginsberg fans scream with joy."-San Francisco Chronicle "First Thought reacquaints us with a wonderfully authentic person and poet."-PopMatters "The collection is genuinely worthwhile."-Rain Taxi