Allen Ginsberg Poetry Readings & Lectures on Audio

Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American Beat poet born in Newark, New Jersey. Ginsberg is best known for Howl (1956), a long poem about consumer society's negative human values.

Visionary, radical, spiritual seeker, renowned poet, founding member of a major literary movement, champion of human rights, Buddhist, political activist and teacher—Allen Ginsberg's remarkable life shaped the very soul of American counterculture.

Allen Ginsberg class with William Burroughs. Ginsberg begins by reading from Burroughs's work, including his book Nova Express.

Allen Ginsberg class on Beat literary history of the 1950's, discussing William S. Burroughs's book Junky and his first meeting with Herman Hunke.

"First thought, best thought”—that was the phrase that poet Allen Ginsberg used to describe spontaneous and fearless writing—a way of “telling the truth” that arises from naked and authentic experience.

Upon the release of his first published work, Howl and Other Poems, in 1956, Allen Ginsberg became the unlikely force of a movement that would change a generation....

First half of a class by Allen Ginsberg on William Carlos Williams and prosody.

Witchita Vortex Sutra is Ginsberg's epic poem about the Vietnam War written in 1966....

Allen Ginsberg class on steps of revising autobiographical poems.

First half of a class by William S. Burroughs on the technology and the ethics of wishing.