Image by Michiel Hendryckx, via WikiÂmeÂdia ComÂmons
Recent MacArthur FelÂlow and poet TerÂrence Hayes appeared on NPR yesÂterÂday to read and disÂcuss his work; he was asked if he found “being defined as an African-AmerÂiÂcan poet” to be limÂitÂing in some way. Hayes replied,
I think it’s a bonus. It’s a thing that makes me addiÂtionÂalÂly interÂestÂing, is what I would say. So, black poet, SouthÂern poet, male poet — many of those idenÂtiÂties I try to fold into the poems and hope that they enrich them.
It seemed to me an odd quesÂtion to ask a MacArthur-winÂning AmerÂiÂcan poet. Issues of both perÂsonÂal and nationÂal idenÂtiÂty have been cenÂtral to AmerÂiÂcan poetÂry at least since Walt WhitÂman or Langston HughÂes, but espeÂcialÂly since the 1950s with the emerÂgence of conÂfesÂsionÂal and beat poets like Allen GinsÂberg. WithÂout the celÂeÂbraÂtion of perÂsonÂal idenÂtiÂty, one might say that it’s hard to imagÂine AmerÂiÂcan poetÂry.
Like Hayes, GinsÂberg enfoldÂed his varÂiÂous identities—Jew, BudÂdhist, gay man—into his poetÂry in enrichÂing ways. ThirÂty-six years ago, he gave a radio interÂview to “Stonewall Nation,” one of a handÂful of specifÂiÂcalÂly gay radio proÂgrams broadÂcast in 1970s WestÂern New York. In an occaÂsionÂalÂly NSFW conÂverÂsaÂtion, he disÂcussed the expeÂriÂence of comÂing out to his felÂlow Beats and to his famÂiÂly.
- IntroÂducÂtion (5:21):
MP3 - On being closÂetÂed (2:09): MP3
- Excerpts from “Don’t Grow Old” (2:32): MP3
- On comÂing out to his famÂiÂly (3:01): MP3
- On desire and comÂpasÂsion (1:41): MP3
- On the BrigÂgs amendÂment (8:54): MP3
- On the Beats and nature (3:24): MP3
- On Rocky Flats (2:19): MP3
- GinsÂberg sings “EveryÂbody Sing” (2:37): MP3
MP3DurÂing the interÂview GinsÂberg talks about being closÂetÂed and havÂing a crush on Jack KerÂouac, who was “very tolÂerÂant, friendÂly,” after GinsÂberg conÂfessed it. Above he tells a funÂny stoÂry about comÂing out to his father, then reads a movÂing untiÂtled poem about his father’s evenÂtuÂal accepÂtance after their mutuÂal “timidÂiÂty and fear.” He also recalls how the rest of his famÂiÂly, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly his brothÂer, reactÂed.
The interÂview moves to broadÂer topÂics. GinsÂberg disÂcussÂes his views on desire and comÂpasÂsion, definÂing the latÂter as “benevÂoÂlent and indifÂferÂent attenÂtiveÂness,” rather than “heart-love.” BudÂdhism perÂvades GinsÂberg’s conÂverÂsaÂtion as does a roguÂish vaudeÂvilÂlian senÂsiÂbilÂiÂty mixed with sober reflecÂtion. He opens with a long, boozy sing-along whose first four lines conÂciseÂly sum up core BudÂdhist docÂtrines; he ends with a funÂny, bawdy song that then becomes a dark exploÂration of homoÂphoÂbic and misogÂyÂnisÂtic vioÂlence.
GinsÂberg and host also disÂcuss the BrigÂgs IniÂtiaÂtive (above) a piece of legÂisÂlaÂtion that would have been an effecÂtive purge in the CalÂiÂforÂnia school sysÂtem of gay teachÂers, their supÂportÂers, even those who might “take a neuÂtral attiÂtude which could be interÂpretÂed as approval.” This would preÂclude even the teachÂing of Whitman’s “Song of Myself” (or one parÂticÂuÂlar secÂtion of it), which, GinsÂberg says, “would make the teacher liable for encourÂagÂing homoÂsexÂuÂal activÂiÂty.” The amendment—one that, apparÂentÂly, forÂmer govÂerÂnor Ronald ReaÂgan strongÂly opposed—failed to pass. These days such proÂposÂals tarÂget Ginsberg’s poetÂry as well, and we still have conÂverÂsaÂtions about the valÂue of things like “benevÂoÂlent and indifÂferÂent attenÂtiveÂness” in the classÂroom, or whether poets should feel limÂitÂed by being who they are.
In the phoÂto above, takÂen by HerÂbert Rusche in 1978, you can see GinsÂberg (left) with his long-time partÂner, the poet Peter Orlovsky (right).
via PennSound
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The First RecordÂing of Allen GinsÂberg ReadÂing “Howl” (1956)
“ExpanÂsive PoetÂics” by Allen GinsÂberg: A Free Course from 1981
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness.
