9 September 2005
Issued by Route

Howl for Now – a celebration of Allen Ginsberg's epic protest poem
"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked..."
Allen Ginsberg, Howl

Perhaps one of the most far reaching poems of the latter half of the twentieth century, Howl by Allen Ginsberg, was first read in public at the Six Gallery in San Francisco on October 7,1955. A unique event to commemorate the anniversary of this occasion will take place at the University of Leeds exactly 50 years to the day. A book to mark the event, and to take a closer inspection at the resonance of the poem, will be published by Yorkshire publishers Route on the same day.

Howl for Now, co-ordinated by cultural historian Simon Warner, is an event in celebration of Howl and will reflect the poem in words, music and image, with a reading of Part I of the poem; a series of specially composed musical responses to the poem; a pair of dramatic monologues utilising the eye witness descriptions of Jack Kerouac and fellow poet Michael McClure; and artworks reflecting the time, the place and the piece. Howl for Now will be presented on Friday October 7 at 6.30pm in the Clothworkers’ Centenary Concert Hall at the University of Leeds.

To commemorate the event and the poem, Route are publishing a book Howl for Now, which will contain considered pieces that reflect on the work from the perspective of different art forms, with contributions from musician Bill Nelson and US filmmaker Ronald Nameth among others. The book will be introduced by long-time Ginsberg collaborator Steven Taylor and prefaced by respected beat poet David Meltzer.

Editor of Route Ian Daley said: "It is a great honour for us to be involved with this project, not only because of the wonderful contributors to the book, but also to connect to a poet and a movement that has been a great inspiration to a press like ours, and to many others like us. Written from the edge of despair, this poem brought hope, light, possibility and acceptability to an emerging new consciousness. This poem opened a door for Ginsberg’s own generation which subsequent generations have continued to walk through"

Tickets for the Howl for Now event are free, but will be allocated on a strictly first come, first served basis, email s.wheater@leeds.ac.uk. Route has an allocation of guest tickets, which will be made available to buyers of the book, also on a first come first served basis.

Contact
Howl for Now editor Simon Warner is available for interview. For contact details and for other press related matters contact Isabel Galán at Route on 01977 797695, email isabel@route-online.com or Claire Jones at the University of Leeds on 0113 3436699, email c.c.jones@leeds.ac.uk.

Notes for editors
1. Simon Warner teaches popular music at the University of Leeds. A former rock journalist – he was a reviewer with the Guardian from 1992-95 – he is also director of PopuLUs, the University’s centre for the study of the world’s popular musics. Bill Nelson is an associate member of the centre. More information on the centre can be found at www.leeds.ac.uk/music/research/PopuLUs.

2. Simon Warner's publications include Rockspeak: The Language of Rock and Pop (Blandford, 1996) and a chapter in Remembering Woodstock (Ashgate, 2004). His next book Text and Drugs and Rock’n’Roll: The Beats and Rock from Kerouac and Ginsberg to Dylan and Cobain will appear through Continuum Press of New York. In addition, he edits the electronic publication Chapter&Verse, A Journal of Popular Music and Literature Studies and his “Anglo Visions” column appears monthly in the cultural webzine PopMatters. In 2005 he co-founded the Sir Peter Blake Music Art Gallery in the school of music http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/press_releases/current/peter_blake.htm.

3 . Howl for Now: A Celebration of Allen Ginsberg’s Epic Protest Poem is published by Route on October 7. ISBN 1 901927 25 3. Editor: Simon Warner. Price £9.99. It can be pre-ordered direct from Route – www.route-online.com or 01977 797695, price £9.99.