Howl

Howl is a poem by Allen Ginsberg that was first performed in 1955 in the Six Gallery in San Francisco. It is noted for relating stories and experiences of his friends and contemporaries, its tumbling hallucinatory style, and the subsequent obscenity trial which it provoked. It is dedicated to Ginsberg's friend Carl Solomon, whom he met in a mental institution.

The 1957 Obscenity Trial

Howl contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices, both heterosexual and homosexual. On the basis of one line in particular

Related Topics:
Heterosexual - Homosexual

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:who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly motorcyclists, and screamed with joy

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officials seized 520 copies of the poem on March 25, 1957.

Related Topics:
March 25 - 1957

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A subsequent obscenity trial was brought against Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who ran City Lights Bookstore, the poem's publisher. Nine literary experts testified on the poem's behalf. Supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Ferlinghetti won the case when Judge Clayton Horn decided that the poem was of 'redeeming social importance'. The case was widely publicised (articles appeared in both 'Time' and 'Life' magazines) ensuring the wide readership of Howl, which remains one of the most popular poems by an American author.

Related Topics:
Lawrence Ferlinghetti - City Lights Bookstore - American Civil Liberties Union - Time - Life

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