Difference between revisions of "Allen Ginsberg"
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'''Allen Ginsberg''' [[Columbia College|CC]] '[[1948|48]] was a gay [[Beat Generation]] poet who wrote ''Howl''. | '''Allen Ginsberg''' [[Columbia College|CC]] '[[1948|48]] was a gay [[Beat Generation]] poet who wrote ''Howl''. | ||
| − | Ginsberg attended Columbia on a scholarship from the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Paterson, NJ. In [[1945]], he joined the Merchant Marine to earn money to continue his education. | + | Ginsberg attended Columbia on a scholarship from the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Paterson, NJ, originally intending to eventually study law in pursuit of a public interest career.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=-nt1xVR4SrAC&lpg=PA7&ots=r_eXPXbf4T&dq=columbia%20%22lived%20in%20livingston%22&pg=PA2#v=onepage&q&f=false The Beat Generation in NY, p. 2]</ref> In [[1945]], he joined the Merchant Marine to earn money to continue his education. |
He was recognized as a literary talent early on by luminaries like [[Lionel Trilling]] and [[Mark Van Doren]], with whom he kept in touch after graduation.<ref>[http://www.litkicks.com/Columbia LitKicks - Columbia]</ref> While at Columbia he edited the ''[[Columbia Review]]'', wrote for ''[[Jester]]'' and was president of the [[Philolexian Society]]. He was also winner of the [[Woodberry Poetry Prize]] and, reportedly, a [[Philolexian Prize]] as well. | He was recognized as a literary talent early on by luminaries like [[Lionel Trilling]] and [[Mark Van Doren]], with whom he kept in touch after graduation.<ref>[http://www.litkicks.com/Columbia LitKicks - Columbia]</ref> While at Columbia he edited the ''[[Columbia Review]]'', wrote for ''[[Jester]]'' and was president of the [[Philolexian Society]]. He was also winner of the [[Woodberry Poetry Prize]] and, reportedly, a [[Philolexian Prize]] as well. | ||
Revision as of 19:31, 2 August 2010
Allen Ginsberg CC '48 was a gay Beat Generation poet who wrote Howl.
Ginsberg attended Columbia on a scholarship from the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Paterson, NJ, originally intending to eventually study law in pursuit of a public interest career.[1] In 1945, he joined the Merchant Marine to earn money to continue his education.
He was recognized as a literary talent early on by luminaries like Lionel Trilling and Mark Van Doren, with whom he kept in touch after graduation.[2] While at Columbia he edited the Columbia Review, wrote for Jester and was president of the Philolexian Society. He was also winner of the Woodberry Poetry Prize and, reportedly, a Philolexian Prize as well.
He was friends with fellow Beat writer Jack Kerouac and future historian Fritz Stern. He served as Stern's debate partner on the College Debate Council and founded the Roosevelt for President club with him in 1944. Ginsberg was to prove influential in persuading Stern to enroll in humanities classes, which caused him to rethink his intended career in medicine.
He was disciplined after writing the graffiti "Butler has no balls" (referring to University President Nicholas Murray Butler) in the grime of his dorm room window in Hartley Hall. After another infraction (letting Jack Kerouac sleep in his room), Ginsberg was suspended for a year.[3]
Ginsberg won a John Jay Award in 1993.
![[1]](http://www.allenginsberg.org/library.php?catalogue=Photography&itemID=67&FileName=0016.jpg&AGTID=0016&FileType=jpg&PHPSESSID=23bd9309c43ebc6708abb2de0ccb71bf){kind=link}