Various (Ginsberg, Allen; Sinclair, Iain; Clark, Tom et al.)

Beat Scene: A Special Issue, The Kodak Mantra Diaries (Winter 2006)

Coventry, England: Beat Scene Press, 2006. First Edition Thus; First Printing. Stapled Wrappers. "This fascinating assemblage of documents, a scrapbook montage of personal anecdote, reflection, audio transcription and objectivist reportage, provides a useful historical period reconstruction of the socioliterary sub-terrain of London in the later 1960s. It is also the honest and often comical account of an earnest attempt to capture on film- and in words- the magnetic impact of the book's principal character, that larger-than-life "shadow of a magnitude," Allen Ginsberg. The film comes to grief...But, happily, as with the luckiest of aborted projects, the notes that remain became a precious expedient text; and that in turn, here updated, now offers us a marvelous time-capsule portrait of the era, and more specifically of the man, that dwarfing luminosity, whom, as the youthful Barry Miles notes with awe, "throughout the world thousands of people...know...just as ALLEN." (from Introduction by Tom Clark, pg. 4) A document by Iain Sinclair, the UK filmmaker & writer, which covers the period from October 1966- June 1971 in swinging, post-Beat psychedelic London with Allen Ginsberg at its center. Orbiting around Ginsberg or discussed by him at this time & place are everyone from William S. Burroughs, R.D. Laing, Charles Olson & many more who with him helped define that era, & well beyond. Originally published in 1971, this is a boldly produced new edition in the format of a special issue of Beat Scene magazine, Kevin Ring's indispensable series devoted to the living legacy of the Beat Generation. With stunning color images of Ginsberg on front & back covers; & many black-&-white images throughout. An amazing production, & a truly essential Ginsberg-&-milieu collectible. In very fine condition with only very light wear, a few bumps & small, faint creases at/ near edges & corners of front, back covers & stapled spine; staples in process of rusting with minimal interior bleeding. Interior very fine with only tiny bumps, creases at upper corners of page leaves; very slight rust-bleeding noted above. Very Fine. [Item #5049]

Price: $35.00