Ginsberg, Allen (Morgan, Bill; Waldman, Anne)

The Best Minds of my Generation: A Literary History of the Beats

New York, NY: Grove Press, 2017. First Printing. Hardcover. “In 1977, twenty years after the publication of his landmark poem, ‘Howl’ and Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road,’ Allen Ginsberg decided it was time to teach a course on the literary history of the Beat Generation. Throughout this course, which he taught first at the Naropa Institute in Colorado, and later at Brooklyn College, Ginsberg saw an opportunity to present a full history of Beat literature and to record his own stories and memories, ones that might otherwise be lost to history. The result was a deeply intimate, wonderfully digressive, but revelatory set of lectures, which form the basis of this book. Compiled and edited by renowned Beat scholar Bill Morgan, and with an introduction by Anne Waldman, ‘The Best Minds of My Generation’ provides the lectures in a curated form, revealing the Beats as Ginsberg knew them: friends, confidants, literary mentors, and fellow revolutionaries” (from Front Flap copy). CALLING ALL WRITERS claiming to have been influenced by writers (or even a single writer) of Beat Generation—this is an absolutely indispensable resource for you, in particular. Here, we get the “literary history” — not just the who and the what, but the “why” — the white hot brain-heart of the movement. Here, we go deep into the intellectual history; we find what buoyed who; we found out when, and why. We get Ginsberg’s commentary-ruminations on such important & intriguing Beat-historical topics as [21] “Burroughs and the Visual”; [31] “Jack Kerouac and Fame”; an 8-part [31-38], utterly invaluable suite on Gregory Corso detailing his poetic history from 1955’s “The Vestal Lady on Brattle” all the way up to 1981’s “Herald of the Autochthonic Spirit” & much, much more. If you want to go deeper—from the Writer’s perspective, not merely the Biographer’s— when learning about The Beat Generation, “The Best Minds of My Generation: a Literary History of the Beats” is a one-stop source. [ISBN: 978-0-8021-2649]. Hardcover in unclipped dust-jacket: First Edition (of “April, 2017”), as stated on copyright page; First Printing, as indicated by number sequence, thereon. In very fine condition, virtually as new with only slightest shelf-wear to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine. Dust-jacket in equally very fine condition, with only correspondingly mute shelf-wear to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #5396]

Price: $25.00