Union Street in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

First Public Reading of HOWL

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 31, 2019

1. First Public Reading of HOWL Marker

Inscription. "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, br dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,
angelhead hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities contemplating jazz..."
©HOWL by Allen Ginsberg, first published by City Lights Books and reprinted with permission of the Wylie Agency.

Allen Ginsberg

Presented to San Francisco on the 50th Anniversary of the first full-length public reading of HOWL at the Six Gallery.
October 7, 2005
San Francisco salutes the Beat Generation poets Jack Kerouac, Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, Kenneth Rexroth, Garry Snyder, and Philip Whalen.
By Supervisor Michela Aliota-Pier and Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Lights Books.

Erected 2005 by Supervisor Michela Aliota-Pier and Lawrence Ferlinghetti of City Lights Books.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical date for this entry is October 7, 1955.

Location. 37° 47.895′ N, 122°

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26.15′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in Union Street. Marker is on Fillmore Street near Filbert Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3155 Filmore, San Francisco CA 94123, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Metro Theater Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Mason Historic District (approx. half a mile away); Golden Gate National Recreation Area Legislation (approx. 0.6 miles away); Phillip Burton (approx. 0.6 miles away); Marina Air Field (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Mason Historic District (approx. 0.7 miles away); Talbot-Dutton House (approx. 0.7 miles away); San Francisco Port of Embarkation (1932-1962) (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Francisco.

Also see . . .
1. Howl - Wikipedia. Ginsberg began work on "Howl" in 1954. In the Paul Blackburn Tape Archive at the University of California, San Diego, Ginsberg can be heard reading early drafts of his poem to his fellow writing associates. "Howl" is considered to be one of the great works of American literature. It came to be associated with the group of writers known as the Beat Generation. (Submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. Allen Ginsberg - Wikipedia

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 31, 2019

2. First Public Reading of HOWL Marker

The marker is mounted on a pedestal between the cars.

. Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet, philosopher and writer. He is considered to be one of the leading figures of both the Beat Generation during the 1950s and the counterculture that soon followed. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism, and sexual repression and was known as embodying various aspects of this counterculture, such as his views on drugs, hostility to bureaucracy and openness to Eastern religions. He was one of many influential American writers of his time who were associated with the Beat Generation, including Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. (Submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

3. Howl - Poetry Foundation. The text of the poem HOWL. (Submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

4. Allen Ginsberg reads HOWL - YouTube. An audio recording of the poem HOWL. (Submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Additional keywords. LGBT, LGBTQ

Allen Ginsberg image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Njmonthly, circa 1952

3. Allen Ginsberg

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 232 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 22, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.