Giving Up Poetry: With Allen Ginsberg at Hollyhock

Joanne Wotypka is a branch library assistant in the Cameron Library and
the University of Alberta.

Allen Ginsberg was indisputably one of the 20th century’s greatest
poets, best known for the groundbreaking poem “Howl” (which set the
standards for obscene literature). His later works reflected his
devotion to Buddhism.

This book is a remembrance of a workshop given by Ginsberg in 1985, and
the author’s reaction to it. Ginsberg’s ability to be a catalyst for
the work of others is legendary; his influence on fellow Beat author
Jack Kerouac, for example, was immeasurable. Unlike Kerouac, Ginsberg
engaged in a formal program of Buddhist studies, under the late Chogyam
Trungpa, learning “crazy wisdom” from one of the most dynamic
teachers of Buddhism in the 20th century. Carolan’s book recounts a
workshop spent with Ginsberg in 1985. For the author, the experience was
life-changing, as Ginsberg’s Buddhist-influenced method of writing
began to open up new avenues for his artistic expression. Spontaneity,
unclouded observation, and honest self-examination become the order of
the day; Carolan and the other workshop participants found themselves
wondering what they’d gotten themselves into, but neither they nor
Ginsberg paused, so the experience continued unabated.

Those looking for a saintly figure had best look elsewhere. Carolan
depicts Ginsberg as he was: earthy, sensual, and outspoken. Though
offensive to some, he was honest about himself and others, something
that he viewed as being integral for true writing. Giving Up Poetry is
an intriguing book.