Tuesday, November 07, 2006

News at Eleven: [Allen] Ginsberg scholars aren't sure

why he mentions Canada and Paterson in this portion of "Howl." Ginsberg doesn't explain in his notes. But Bill Morgan, a Ginsberg biographer, thinks Paterson represents Ginsberg and Canada is an allusion to his friend Jack Kerouac, whose parents were French-Canadian.

"who vanished into nowhere Zen New Jersey leaving a/trail of ambiguous picture postcards of Atlantic/City Hall,/suffering Eastern sweats and Tangerian bone-grindings/and migraines of China under junk-withdrawal/in Newark's bleak furnished room."

from The Star-Ledger: The 'Howl' heard 'round the world

~~~~~~~~~~~

No comments :