The epigraph for Howl is from Walt Whitman: "Unscrew the locks from the doors!/Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!" Announcing his intentions with this ringing motto, Allen Ginsberg published a volume of poetry which broke so many social taboos that copies were impounded as obscene, and the publisher, poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, was arrested. The court case that followed found for Ginsberg and his publisher, and the publicity made both the poet and the book famous. Ginsberg went on from this beginning to become a cultural icon of sixties radicalism. This works seminal place in the culture is indicated in Czeslaw Milosz's poetic tribute to Ginsberg: "Your blasphemous howl still resounds in a neon desert where the human tribe wanders, sentenced to unreality". ... Read more

Isbn: 0872860175
Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Poetry   

Anyone who has slogged their way through the swamps of German philosophical writing---in Kant or Hegel or Heidegger--will find Nietzsche a refreshing and exhilarating change. The selections are well chosen, and a cover-to-cover read will aptly depict Nietzsche's philosophy. In this volume the reader will find many of Nietzsche's polemical (and frequently misunderstood) ratiocinations on Christianity, Socrates, Germany, and art. Here, too, are his seminal and unforgettable critiques of Western morality ("That lambs dislike great birds of prey does not seem strange: only it gives no ground for reproaching these birds of prey for bearing off little lambs"). For philosophical fireworks, Nietzsche can hardly be matched. His brazen defiance of intellectualism's conventions still rings in contemporary thought because he practiced philosophy with a hammer. --Eric de Place ... Read more

Isbn: 0679783393
Subjects:  1. General    2. History & Surveys - Modern    3. Philosophy    4. Philosophy / General    5. Reading Group Guide   

Kesey's theatrical metamorphosis from the distinguished author of One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest to the abominable shaman of the "Acid Test" soirees that launched The Grateful Dead required Wolfe's Day-Glo prose account to endure (though Kesey's own musings in Demon Box are no slouch either). Even now, Wolfe's book gives what Wolfe clearly got from Kesey: a contact high. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Isbn: 0553380648
Subjects:  1. Popular Culture - Counter Culture    2. Popular Culture - General    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Subculture    6. Substance Abuse & Addictions - General    7. Social Science / Popular Culture   

Founded in 1925, The New Yorker hardly changed for its first 60 years, both in its dry, type-heavy design and in its reputation as a writer's and reader's haven. In 1987 it was on only its second editor when management decided to shake things up. A rocky decade ensued, but The New Yorker is now back at the top of its game under David Remnick's editorship. Each issue offers commentaries and reporting on politics, culture, and events, with a focus that's both national and international; humor and cartoons; fiction and poetry; and reviews of books, movies, theater, music, art, and fashion. Several times a year special issues focus on a theme--music, fashion, business. The writing is mostly first-rate, frequently coming from top literary and journalistic talents. The New Yorker's weekly issues can seem overwhelming--so much good stuff to read, piling up so fast!--but it's as easy to dip in for a small snack as it is to wade in for a substantial meal. --Nicholas H. Allison ... Read more

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Asin: B00005N7T5
Subjects:  1. Literary    2. News & Politics    3. Regional   

The brainchild of Andy Warhol back in the heyday of the '70s club culture, Interview magazine has morphed from newsletter and photo essay of the Studio 54 set to the arbiter of what defines cutting edge for the nation (well, at least those in the nation who believe New York to be the center of the universe). It's magazine chic at its highest. When you pick up the magazine, don't look for Julia Roberts; look for the woman who will eclipse Julia in the next five years. The concept of the magazine couldn't be simpler--Q&A format, accompanied by photographs--but the Q is often provided by celebrity interviewers, and the A is usually extremely insightful, intriguing, and candid. And the photographs are the crème de la crème, by A-list lensers like Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, and Annie Leibovitz (if you don't know them by name, this is definitely not the magazine for you). Nudity and profanity may put off some readers; others will be pleasantly titillated. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

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Asin: B00005N7NY
Subjects:  1. Entertainment    2. General    3. Periodicals    4. Movies (Movie, Films, Film, Cinema)