Description
Trade Review"Allen Ginsberg's The Fall of America Journals, 1965-1971, glistens brightly with openhearted compassion, keen-eyed observation, Bodhisattva mindfulness, political daring, and angelic vision. Expertly edited by Michael Schumacher, every page sparkles with fierce poetic intimacy. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, LGBTQ equality, and counterculture insurgency are all nobly documented by Ginsberg. A blowtorch book of Beat/New Left literature for the ages. Highly recommended!"—Douglas Brinkley, editor of Windblown World: The Journals of Jack Kerouac 1947-1954
"Following in the footsteps of legendary photographer Robert Frank's groundbreaking The Americans and Jack Kerouac's opus On the Road, Allen Ginsberg gives us deep insight into his poems in The Fall of America. What makes this collection of journals memorable and deeply insightful is that the spontaneous observations cohere in radically unexpected ways. It is the very fundamental questions it asks of an America in total transformation, at warp speed, that makes The Fall of America Journals, 1965-1971 so powerful. If there's one thing you will see at the end of the book and the original collection of Ginsberg poems it refers to, it's that every poem this book refers to is a prismatic hall of mirrors with an incredible back story. Sometimes, it's the stories about the stories that make it all converge. A must read for anyone who enjoys progressive poetry that builds worlds upon worlds upon worlds."—Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky
"It is interesting to follow along with Schumacher’s notes as to what is being recorded and where it falls into The Fall of America. Having both books open and available is rewarding — the inspiration and the final product."—Evilcyclist’s Bookshelf
"The Fall of America Journals, 1965-1971 is a book that describes America’s beauty and its bloodshed; its glories and its shame. It is a history, a road journal, a poetic odyssey with islands of magic, mountains of snow, psychedelic elixirs inducing visions. And dreams. An odyssey and an omnibus, these journals are a work meant to live on a nearby shelf, to be opened if in need of inspiration or assurance. It serves as a road atlas in a universe with multiple dimensions and numerous points of entry."—CounterPunch
"This massive collection is another extremely valuable insight into the life and work of Allen Ginsberg and will soon become required reading for Ginsberg scholars. Michael Schumacher has done excellent work transcribing Ginsberg’s tapes and chicken-scratch handwriting into an entertaining volume. His notes, occasionally inserted to fill a gap in Ginsberg’s own journaling, are intelligent and informative."—Beatdom
"Yet more catnip for Ginsberg fans and students of 20th-century American literature."—Kirkus Reviews
"The Fall of America Journals, once again deftly edited by Michael Schumacher, presents us with the real-time results of Ginsberg’s studies as we stand witness to the shape of the poet’s bare mind in this epic travelogue that sired Ginsberg’s classic collection of poems, The Fall of America."—Electric Review
"Anyone with an interest in Beat literature will find endless treasure here."—Elliptical Movements
"The Fall of America Journals—which contain a wealth of facsimile pages and photographs in addition to the poet’s jottings—cement Ginsberg’s status as a prophetic bard as well as both a historian and protector of democracy."—Rain Taxi Review of Books
"A fascinating look at the things that were on Ginsberg's mind under a wide variety of conditions."—Gay & Lesbian Review
"Schumacher's footnotes and occasional contextual explanations are vital, as is his sorting out of nonessential material. Schumacher's greatest contribution may be rendering the handwriting into readable print."—CHOICE
"The Fall of America Journals is a fascinating look into the daily life and creative processes of a major American literary figure."—ALH Online Review
Table of ContentsContents
Editor’s Introduction
A Note on Editing Allen Ginsberg
Acknowledgments
The Fall of America Journals
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
Postscript: Denver to Montana, 1972
Appendix A: Allen Ginsberg’s Descriptive Note Ending The Fall of America
Appendix B: Acceptance Speech for 1973 National Book Award for The Fall of America
Select Bibliography by and About Allen Ginsberg
