Allen Ginsberg He recited and sang his poetry (and that of William Blake) in el Círculo de Bellas Artes December 14, 1993. He was 67 years old, and this was his first reading in Spain, although it wasn't his first time in the country. This edition of that recital, in a combined book and CD format, recovers one of the most joyous poetic celebrations that have taken place in Madrid in recent decades. Undoubtedly, the poet's own wisdom and willingness were the main reasons why it happened so. Allen Ginsberg, who would outlive the recital by four years, came to the Círculo prepared for a categorical reading, full of oral and musical elements and complete with complicity: he not only recited his texts, but in some cases sang them and set them to music, accompanying himself with a small harmonium or with the percussion of some claves.

The edition is completed with two further texts: an introduction by the poet and critic José María Parreño, which offers a lighthearted portrait of Ginsberg interwoven with some anecdotes surrounding his reading, and an epilogue by Gary Snyder, one of the great living poets writing in English, a friend and contemporary of the author of Howl, who contributes a warm essay entitled "Allen Ginsberg Crosses Over." The inclusion of this text provides a personal evocation of the months preceding the passing of a master of twentieth-century poetry, who years earlier had left an indelible mark on Madrid that we now rediscover.

"The book—like the CD—is a gem."
(Jaime Siles, ABC of Arts and Letters)

Interview with Allen Ginsberg in Minerva magazine

Article about Allen Ginsberg in Minerva magazine