Coalition to perform Allen Ginsberg's Howl

By: Samantha Salas

Posted: 10/3/07

SJSU's Poets and Writers Coalition, the university's first student-run writing community, will publicly perform "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg.

Today 10 students, faculty members and poets will come together to perform this poem - originally banned in 1957 for its obscenity - in its entirety, completely uncensored.

Coalition Secretary TJ Flores said this event will illustrate the "sheer culture shock-and-awe" this poem brings and its validity across generations.

"To perform this has been a dream of mine ever since I realized I enjoyed performing poetry," Flores said. "'Howl' is just as socially and politically relevant today as it was when initially released."

Kate Evans, Center for Literary Arts co-director and "Howl" performer, said, "The 'Howl' reading is a great opportunity to draw people's attention to the ways in which literature is and has been banned and censored.

"This is not just an historical reality - it's a current reality," she said.

When describing "Howl", Flores said each line is long enough to make the reader run out of breath.

"It's like a machine gun," Flores said. "It's a visceral experience, and 10 different voices doing it is going to make it come alive."

Coalition Treasurer Peter Bosel wrote in an e-mail that the coalition was created in part to put on events like this one.

"We try to support the literary arts whenever we can," Bosel said, "whether that means inviting an outside speaker to read from his or her own work or just setting up a mic and having everyone share a little something."

Coalition members said they expect the reading to attract a large crowd.

"The interest is out there," Bosel said. "Banned books usually possess a kind of sexy appeal with a literature audience."

Kevin McGee, vice president of the coalition, said while he isn't performing, he is excited to be attending the event.

"The struggle to ensure its publication needs to be remembered," McGee said. "It's an opportunity to remind students that censorship isn't some relic of the past.

"Just look at how some folks can get riled up even about 'Harry Potter,'" McGee said. "If we are going to have free speech as a living reality, instead of a vacuous platitude, we need to fight censorship."

Evans said it is ironic that banning and censoring literature, in an attempt to abort free speech and dialogue, often ignites the very thing it is attempting to stifle.

"Restrictions often lead to a backlash of loud voices and our public 'Howl'ing emphasizes just that," Evans said.

Alan Soldofsky, Master of Fine Arts program director and master of ceremonies for the event, wrote in an e-mail, "Howl" is one of the essential works of modern American poetry. Soldofsky also said he knew Ginsberg, who died 10 years ago.

"I knew Allen since I was a student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop in the 60s," Soldofsky wrote in the e-mail. "I knew Allen as a poet and cultural figure. His knowledge of poetry was encyclopedic. He knew thousands of lines of poetry by heart."

Soldofsky would classify Ginsberg as a real person who had much self-doubt despite all his fame.

"When I saw him over the years, even when he was ill toward the end of his life," Soldofsky wrote, "he had tremendous energy and commitment. He was a devoted friend to those who were close to him and a passionate teacher."

Ginsberg's energy and commitment brought great force of his personality to his teaching and his interest in the work of younger poets, Soldofsky wrote.

"He was always trying to learn something new," he wrote. "And he was always trying to figure out what the truth was in a media-saturated culture whose primary products were death and lies."

While it has been hard to get all of the poets together to practice, Flores said everyone has their specific part, and everything should fall into place at the performance.

The reading of "Howl" will take place from 12 to 1 p.m. in between the Tommie Smith and John Carlos statue and Clark Hall.