Comments on: Excerpt from “Footnote to Howl” by Allen Ginsberg http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/ the internet literature magazine blog of the future Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Heath http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-18056 Heath Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:13:47 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-18056 Yeah, I was just thinking about Pound. It's hard to find much to worry about in his criticism or early work, but when he starts going on about "usury" in the Cantos, anti-Semitism surfaces in the actual work. I think it's fair to say a lot of his Cantos aren't beautiful anyway, but Pound is a peculiar case; supported Fascism, went nuts, ranted, then expressed remorse—though far too little and too late . . . and there's hateful stuff in the work itself. It doesn't help that the poems are dense with meaning, like he's aspiring to measure up to his line, "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree." So I get a bad feeling I'm reading hate but I don't quite understand what all the poem contains. I like this idea of resting transparently, though, so we can free "In a Station of the Metro" at least THE apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. Yeah, I was just thinking about Pound. It’s hard to find much to worry about in his criticism or early work, but when he starts going on about “usury” in the Cantos, anti-Semitism surfaces in the actual work. I think it’s fair to say a lot of his Cantos aren’t beautiful anyway, but Pound is a peculiar case; supported Fascism, went nuts, ranted, then expressed remorse—though far too little and too late . . . and there’s hateful stuff in the work itself. It doesn’t help that the poems are dense with meaning, like he’s aspiring to measure up to his line, “Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.” So I get a bad feeling I’m reading hate but I don’t quite understand what all the poem contains. I like this idea of resting transparently, though, so we can free “In a Station of the Metro” at least

THE apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

]]> By: Heath http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-109740 Heath Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:13:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-109740 Yeah, I was just thinking about Pound. It's hard to find much to worry about in his criticism or early work, but when he starts going on about "usury" in the Cantos, anti-Semitism surfaces in the actual work. I think it's fair to say a lot of his Cantos aren't beautiful anyway, but Pound is a peculiar case; supported Fascism, went nuts, ranted, then expressed remorse—though far too little and too late . . . and there's hateful stuff in the work itself. It doesn't help that the poems are dense with meaning, like he's aspiring to measure up to his line, "Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree." So I get a bad feeling I'm reading hate but I don't quite understand what all the poem contains. I like this idea of resting transparently, though, so we can free "In a Station of the Metro" at least THE apparition of these faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet, black bough. Yeah, I was just thinking about Pound. It’s hard to find much to worry about in his criticism or early work, but when he starts going on about “usury” in the Cantos, anti-Semitism surfaces in the actual work. I think it’s fair to say a lot of his Cantos aren’t beautiful anyway, but Pound is a peculiar case; supported Fascism, went nuts, ranted, then expressed remorse—though far too little and too late . . . and there’s hateful stuff in the work itself. It doesn’t help that the poems are dense with meaning, like he’s aspiring to measure up to his line, “Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.” So I get a bad feeling I’m reading hate but I don’t quite understand what all the poem contains. I like this idea of resting transparently, though, so we can free “In a Station of the Metro” at least

THE apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

]]> By: Ken Baumann http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-18052 Ken Baumann Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:26:46 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-18052 Yeah, it's an interesting subject, that of separating an artist and his work. I think David Milch has the right idea when he says that when a writer writes, or a painter paints, or a lover loves, that you 'rest transparently in the spirit which gives you rise', the Spirit being God, love, the universal matter that we are, our idea of separateness dissolved. A bigot can write beautiful stories. Hitler can paint beautiful art. In the practice of art, they're resting transparently. Yeah, it’s an interesting subject, that of separating an artist and his work.

I think David Milch has the right idea when he says that when a writer writes, or a painter paints, or a lover loves, that you ‘rest transparently in the spirit which gives you rise’, the Spirit being God, love, the universal matter that we are, our idea of separateness dissolved.

A bigot can write beautiful stories. Hitler can paint beautiful art. In the practice of art, they’re resting transparently.

]]> By: Ken Baumann http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-109739 Ken Baumann Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:26:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-109739 Yeah, it's an interesting subject, that of separating an artist and his work. I think David Milch has the right idea when he says that when a writer writes, or a painter paints, or a lover loves, that you 'rest transparently in the spirit which gives you rise', the Spirit being God, love, the universal matter that we are, our idea of separateness dissolved. A bigot can write beautiful stories. Hitler can paint beautiful art. In the practice of art, they're resting transparently. Yeah, it’s an interesting subject, that of separating an artist and his work.

I think David Milch has the right idea when he says that when a writer writes, or a painter paints, or a lover loves, that you ‘rest transparently in the spirit which gives you rise’, the Spirit being God, love, the universal matter that we are, our idea of separateness dissolved.

A bigot can write beautiful stories. Hitler can paint beautiful art. In the practice of art, they’re resting transparently.

]]> By: Ross Brighton http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-18046 Ross Brighton Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:15:34 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-18046 cf. Ezra Pound. Always feel just a little guilty reading him. cf. Ezra Pound. Always feel just a little guilty reading him.

]]> By: Ross Brighton http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-109738 Ross Brighton Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:15:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-109738 cf. Ezra Pound. Always feel just a little guilty reading him. cf. Ezra Pound. Always feel just a little guilty reading him.

]]> By: Ross Brighton http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-18045 Ross Brighton Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:14:26 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-18045 I have lots of Holes. They're pretty awesome. I have lots of Holes. They’re pretty awesome.

]]> By: Ross Brighton http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-109737 Ross Brighton Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:14:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-109737 I have lots of Holes. They're pretty awesome. I have lots of Holes. They’re pretty awesome.

]]> By: Michael J http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-18037 Michael J Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:08:09 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-18037 Whitman was kind of an asshole. I mean, I guess, we're all asshole-ish at times. What I mean is, he was all anti-mexican during the Mexican American war. Never once did he go, hey America, you're kinding pitting Natives against other Natives while going back on your contracts and doing all this supershady stuff. I guess you can separate poetry/poetic influence with a writer's personality, but then again you really can't. But then you can. Because what if you were looking at a painting and liked it. But then found out Hitler made it. And then maybe you like it less. Or like it more. And then you might feel bad that you link a monster's work. So maybe we all need to be monsters to make people question themselves more. But I can't stand Walt Whitman. Love Ginsberg though. Got the anniversery edition of "Howl" where it has corrections, fascimiles, drafts, all that stuff. Dope. Whitman was kind of an asshole. I mean, I guess, we’re all asshole-ish at times.

What I mean is, he was all anti-mexican during the Mexican American war. Never once did he go, hey America, you’re kinding pitting Natives against other Natives while going back on your contracts and doing all this supershady stuff.

I guess you can separate poetry/poetic influence with a writer’s personality, but then again you really can’t. But then you can. Because what if you were looking at a painting and liked it. But then found out Hitler made it. And then maybe you like it less. Or like it more. And then you might feel bad that you link a monster’s work.

So maybe we all need to be monsters to make people question themselves more.

But I can’t stand Walt Whitman. Love Ginsberg though. Got the anniversery edition of “Howl” where it has corrections, fascimiles, drafts, all that stuff. Dope.

]]> By: Michael J http://htmlgiant.com/excerpts/excerpt-from-footnote-to-howl-by-allen-ginsberg/comment-page-1/#comment-109736 Michael J Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:08:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=10567#comment-109736 Whitman was kind of an asshole. I mean, I guess, we're all asshole-ish at times. What I mean is, he was all anti-mexican during the Mexican American war. Never once did he go, hey America, you're kinding pitting Natives against other Natives while going back on your contracts and doing all this supershady stuff. I guess you can separate poetry/poetic influence with a writer's personality, but then again you really can't. But then you can. Because what if you were looking at a painting and liked it. But then found out Hitler made it. And then maybe you like it less. Or like it more. And then you might feel bad that you link a monster's work. So maybe we all need to be monsters to make people question themselves more. But I can't stand Walt Whitman. Love Ginsberg though. Got the anniversery edition of "Howl" where it has corrections, fascimiles, drafts, all that stuff. Dope. Whitman was kind of an asshole. I mean, I guess, we’re all asshole-ish at times.

What I mean is, he was all anti-mexican during the Mexican American war. Never once did he go, hey America, you’re kinding pitting Natives against other Natives while going back on your contracts and doing all this supershady stuff.

I guess you can separate poetry/poetic influence with a writer’s personality, but then again you really can’t. But then you can. Because what if you were looking at a painting and liked it. But then found out Hitler made it. And then maybe you like it less. Or like it more. And then you might feel bad that you link a monster’s work.

So maybe we all need to be monsters to make people question themselves more.

But I can’t stand Walt Whitman. Love Ginsberg though. Got the anniversery edition of “Howl” where it has corrections, fascimiles, drafts, all that stuff. Dope.

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