Lately, I have been listening to lectures from poets, particularly Allen Ginsberg, from the Naropa University archives. The lectures are free. They can be streamed or downloaded for commutes. Ginsberg's lectures are a revelation. For lyricists and wordsmiths, there is a lot to glean from his teachings. Humorous, generous and, at times, exacting when interrupted (this was rare), Ginsberg was tremendously encouraging of young talent. Ginsberg encourages keeping writing "close to the nose," and relatable like the work of William Carlos Williams and Charles Reznikoff as well as leaping into mad, spectral thought like Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, the Cubists, Surrealists and Dadaists.
This audio clip is a tiny excerpt from a single lecture, but Ginsberg's reading is lots of fun and exceptionally good. Fernando Pessoa, a beloved poet from Portugal, lived in the early 20th century. Pessoa's Salutation to Walt Whitman is impassioned, funny, spectral, abstract, grounded and surreal. It is a true ode to the love of art.
Allen Ginsberg reads Fernando Pessoa - Salutation to Walt Whitman - June 22nd, 1981
