Gary Snyder and Peter Orlovsky, banks of the Ganges river, Rishikesh, India, February 1962. (photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries) “Then we take another all nite train to the holy town of Rishikesh, at the foot of Himalays, where the Ganges enters the Gangetic plain – we stay at famous old Swami Shivananda (Shiva-lovebliss) his Ashram, an old wrestler looking bald man stretched out in a couch sick and dying and murmuring om every time some American lady comes up with big questions about dualism – actually a big famous holy man but now weak and can’t operate much tho he once founded hospitals and wrote 386 books (“I write with electric speed”) charlatan of mass-production international nirvana racket – but actually quite a calm holy old man – he gave us all envelopes with 5 rupees each present and a little book to me on “Raja Yoga for Americans” – How many of you are there? “4” I say as he passes supported by attendants – “4 that’s an auspicious number” he winks and goes away, I rather like him. Next day I asked, where can I get a Guru? And he smiles and touches his heart and says the only Guru is your own heart dearie or words to that effect and adds – you’ll know your Guru when you see him because you’ll love him, otherwise don’t bother. “ (Allen Ginsberg in letter to Jack Kerouac, May 11, 1962 from Essential Ginsberg, Ed Michael Schumacher) #rishikesh #india #ganges #garysnyder #peterorlovksy #jackkerouac #allenginsberg #joannekyger #shivananda #beatgeneration #writers #poets #poetry #poetrycommunity #theessentialginsberg (at Rishikesh) https://www.instagram.com/p/CemTt2Or31-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

From • @thisisthebeatgeneration William S Burroughs Outside His Room in Villla Moneria, Tangier, Morocco, 1961. Allen Ginsberg. #carlsolomon #garysnyder #allenginsberg #eileenkaufman #bobkaufman #jankerouac #joanhaverty #luciencarr #peterorlovsky #hettiejones #bobbielouisehawkins #nealcassady #annewaldman #jeangenet #joannekyger #michaelmclure #luciencarr #jackkerouac #williamburroughs #dianediprima #annewaldman #herberthuncke #carolyncassady #pattismith #williamburroughs #luannehenderson #ontheroad #salparadise #deanmoriarty #lawrenceferlinghetti #turnontuneindropout https://www.instagram.com/p/CixYcMCD21_yGhtydvLX2DT1EsD7XTlJIC-QNE0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I’ve been sitting on these photos for a while, not sure what I wanted to say…and I landed on this: listen to women. When a woman tells you she has experienced sexual harassment, or assault, believe her. Trust me, she’s not talking about it because she wants to. I have my own #MeToo experiences, and talking about them sucks. So I won’t. Because honestly, the names and the details are irrelevant - but if you are a person who has been on the receiving end of sexual misconduct, now you know that I’m with you, and I 💛 you and I’m holding your ✋ in solidarity. And if you haven’t experienced this, now you know someone who has. (Sadly, you probably already did, even unknowingly). Maybe I’m someone that you like, or 💛, or care about in any way, and hopefully that will be enough to convince you. I know that I’m sort of preaching to the choir here, but this country as a whole has shown me, time and time again, that it does not care about women, and it does not believe women. So this is me, begging you, to please, please, believe women. #ImWithHer I chose this word and this poem for a reason. I refuse to let fear silence me. I refuse to feel like a failure. And yes the last photo is me doing my best “I’D LIKE TO 👀 YOU TRY” face and I really think I’m pulling it off. ✌🏼 thanks a million to the brilliant @katie_nolan_photography for capturing these photos and to @mhairimorrisoncomedy and everyone at @dont_silence_me for being so wonderful to work with. I’m honored to even be a little part of this project. (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuZCZcTF7VN/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w41mtjhkj1qo

& includes readings from Amiri Baraka, Ted Berrigan, Ed Dorn, Jackie Curtis, Frank O’Hara, Maureen Owen, Taylor Mead, Tony Towle, Jack Spicer, Peter Orlovsky, Michael Brownstein, Jackson MacLow, Taylor Meade, Michael McClure, Joanne Kyger, Jack Spicer, William Carlos Williams, Erica Hughes, W.S. Merwin, Jerome Rothenberg, & Ken Kesey. #williamsburroughs #allenginsberg #johngiorno #amiribaraka #maureenowen #annewaldman #jackiecurtis #jacksonmacklow #MichaelMcClure #joannekyger #sylviaPlath #johnGiorno #edSanders #bukowski #charlesBukowski #williamcarloswilliams #dialapoem #poetry #poetrycommunity #taylormead (at Manhattan, New York)

Remembering  today on what would have been her eighty-seventh birthday, the late, great, & incomparable Joanne Kyger.  (photo: Allen’s kitchen, November 30, 1989) I don’t believe in any of your gods or powers It’s all Bullshit I don’t even believe in My powers or gods Her dying words were Keep the house clean (from As Ever: Selected Poems, New York, Penguin, 2002) #joannekyger #poetry #poetrycommunity #allenginsberg #beatgeneration (at East Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWeQJoiPtnt/?utm_medium=tumblr

WSB [Paris] to Allen Ginsberg [New York] Dec 2, 1959 9 Rue Git Le Coeur Paris 6, France Dear Allen, I enclose material for Big Table.. Hope is not to too late.. So much work I never catch up and all absolutely urgent.. Brion’s [Gysin] work which I enclose illustrates new cut up method which he taught me.. I have met my first Master in Brion.. “Back Seat of Dreaming” is part of my current novel.. I have writ­ ten most of it remaining only the task of correlating material.. It is based on recent newspaper account of four? young explorers? who died of thirst in Egypt desert.. Just who died is uncertain since one member of the party has not been found yet dead or alive and the identity of the missing person is dubious owing to advanced state of decomposed when found the bodies and the methods of identi­ fication used lacked all precise techniques based entirely on docu­ ments on person but it seems the party was given to exchange of identifications just for jolly to wearing each others under and outer garments and even to writing in each others diaries an unheard of intimacy in any modern expedition.. So if my fictionalized??? account is difficult to follow so was the action, pops.. I am sending this material to you instead of direct to [Paul] Carroll so you can dig it.. I know you are busy but I think worth while pick up on this action now and I will explain method in detail when I see you also we have other project fore.. Temporary hitch.. My Old Lady [Burroughs’ mother] read the Life article and has thrown off her shop keeper weeds and revealed her hideous rank in Matriarch Inc.: “I Queen Bee Laura of Worth Avenue.. Stay out of my territory, punk..” She has, in fact, forbidden me to set foot in Palm Beach on pain of Orpheus.. And won’t send me money to come home.. I will buzz my Greek Uncle Gid [Maurice Girodias] and make it soon as possible.. Love Bill Will send more $ when I receive Mother Money. Please send mescaline if possible. Need transport out of the area. #herberthuncke #joannekyger #carolyncassady #jankerouac #pattismith #gregorycorso #dianediprima #williamburroughs #philipwhalen #gregorycorso #herberthuncke #jackkerouac #nealcassady #luannehenderson https://www.instagram.com/p/CYrQHI0M7h7eopoH05fNMlKT_0i1r-uqOv83ts0/?utm_medium=tumblr

Gary Snyder and Peter Orlovsky, banks of the Ganges river, Rishikesh, India, February 1962. (photo: Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University Libraries) “Then we take another all nite train to the holy town of Rishikesh, at the foot of Himalays, where the Ganges enters the Gangetic plain – we stay at famous old Swami Shivananda (Shiva-lovebliss) his Ashram, an old wrestler looking bald man stretched out in a couch sick and dying and murmuring om every time some American lady comes up with big questions about dualism – actually a big famous holy man but now weak and can’t operate much tho he once founded hospitals and wrote 386 books (“I write with electric speed”) charlatan of mass-production international nirvana racket – but actually quite a calm holy old man – he gave us all envelopes with 5 rupees each present and a little book to me on “Raja Yoga for Americans” – How many of you are there? “4” I say as he passes supported by attendants – “4 that’s an auspicious number” he winks and goes away, I rather like him. Next day I asked, where can I get a Guru? And he smiles and touches his heart and says the only Guru is your own heart dearie or words to that effect and adds – you’ll know your Guru when you see him because you’ll love him, otherwise don’t bother. “ (Allen Ginsberg in letter to Jack Kerouac, May 11, 1962 from Essential Ginsberg, Ed Michael Schumacher) #rishikesh #india #ganges #garysnyder #peterorlovksy #jackkerouac #allenginsberg #joannekyger #shivananda #beatgeneration #writers #poets #poetry #poetrycommunity #theessentialginsberg (at Rishikesh)

Joanne Kyger & Robert Hunter, taking a break from teaching poetry, in the park behind Naropa Institute,  Boulder Colorado, July 25, 1993 (photo Allen Ginsberg, courtesy Stanford University / Allen Ginsberg Estate)