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Spontaneous Mind: Selected Interviews, 1958-1996
From his conversation with the conservative William F. Buckley on PBS to his testimony at the Chicago Seven trial to his passionate riffs on Cezanne, Blake, Whitman, and Pound, the interviews collected in Spontaneous Mind , chronologically arranged and in some cases previously unpublished, were conducted throughout Allen Ginsberg's long career. From the late 1950s to the mid-1990s, Ginsberg speaks frankly about his life, his work, and major events, allowing us to hear once again the impassioned voice of one of the most influential literary and cultural figures of our time.
624 pages, Paperback
Published March 26, 2002
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About the author
Allen Ginsberg
490 books4,106 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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 31, 2009
Whatever you think about his poetry, Ginsberg is a fascinating person who gives highly entertaining interviews. In one of the interviews in the book, he describes his approach of being as frank, honest, and helpful in his responses to every question. This leads to lengthy responses often including information that other people would keep to themselves. It's tough to imagine how almost 600 pages of interviews with one person could be that entertaining, but I flew through this book.
March 29, 2007
after about 1962 ginsberg couldn't fucking shut up about buddhism but there are some great interviews, particularly antagonistic ones with william f buckley junior and born again weirdo john lofton ("the puritan and the profligate"). lots of interesting info about the beats, too. interesting to note the inverse relationship between the overall quality of g.'s poetry and the frequency of his interviews.
December 30, 2008
I love this book of interviews with Allen Ginsberg. I read it when I took a class focused on reading and writing from his influence. He has much knowledge and used his interviews to teach. There are many gems in here and lots of his stories, which I loved reading. Ginsberg was around at rallies when I lived in NYC so I feel a kinship to him.
September 6, 2016
Dissertation read.
Hoping no one reserves this in my library because I will definitely be revisiting it multiple times throughout the year. This book is a gold mine for material. It is impossible to get everything out of it in one read.
Hoping no one reserves this in my library because I will definitely be revisiting it multiple times throughout the year. This book is a gold mine for material. It is impossible to get everything out of it in one read.
July 25, 2008
Allen's all about getting naked -- your mind, your body and your star spirit embracing the universe, so why all your hang-ups, man its 2008!
September 14, 2008
if there was a sixth star i'd give it...
May 26, 2024
I read 130 pages and felt like that was enough for now. I could see returning to it in the future, but it's not something to read in one go. The interviews are interesting, Ginsberg is a genius, but if poetry is to condense (if "dichten = condensare"), Ginsberg's answers are anything but. I enjoyed his thoughts on communism, drugs, Buddhism, and his stance against the Vietnam War. His interviews are a good source for reading, music, and experimental film suggestions if you want to get into his mind and understand his inspirations. He's humbly generous to his contemporaries' cultural contributions as well.
I started losing interest as his discussions of poetry became more technical, as I don't have a deep enough understanding of the history or form required to follow his explanations.
The Buckley interview is worth checking out which is only partially transcribed here. The video of their entire contentious discussion is on YouTube, all 52 minutes of it.
I started losing interest as his discussions of poetry became more technical, as I don't have a deep enough understanding of the history or form required to follow his explanations.
The Buckley interview is worth checking out which is only partially transcribed here. The video of their entire contentious discussion is on YouTube, all 52 minutes of it.
November 27, 2024
Leitura pesada, mas de muito aprendizado! Algumas entrevistas passam voando, especialmente aquelas em que ele conta suas vivências com amigos (principalmente para quem adora a geração beat!), já outras demoram e são muito densas, como quando ele reflete sobre aspectos da poesia e arte em geral. No mais, achei muito interessante saber mais sobre ele, sobre a época e sobre a geração.
September 18, 2022
Ginsburg is a genius in many ways, every one of these interviews gets at a different aspect of that genius. Well worth reading.
November 2, 2014
A great way to get inside the mind of Allen Ginsberg. Transcripts from interviews from the 1950s through the 1990s, including his testimony at the trial of the Chicago Seven and his appearance on William Buckley's Firing Line. You can feel the evolution of culture as Ginsberg tries to patiently explain the hippie ethos, homosexual rights, and Eastern religion to a sometimes reluctant mainstream audience. One has to wonder if his embrace of drugs in the creative process and his physical love for younger "boys" would even be accepted today, but his earnest and genuine attempts to teach as opposed to shock or confront on these topics is evident throughout.
October 19, 2013
Again. Trying to get inside what Jessica was thinking. Trying to understand what made Ginsberg tick. Fascinating.
June 4, 2015
Thoughts on the blog today - http://cantshutupabout.wordpress.com
dnf
February 22, 2019I read the first fifty pages so I could better discuss Ginsberg's ideas (and his philosophical failings) with a student of mine. I couldn't find much of a reason to keep reading. One of the articles discussed Ginsberg's view of open sexuality. The interviewer describes how Ginsberg caresses him throughout the interview, making him feel uncomfortable. This sexual entitlement on Ginsberg's part was inexcusable, and this wasn't an isolated incident, as his misogyny is deeply embedded in his philosophy. This makes him feel incredibly outdated.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews