Thanks, Simon and Leon. Interesting how the name of the event has had so many variants. I have a copy of a typed sheet (downloaded probably from an auction website) that records the final press bulletin for the Albert Hall event. As Miles says, the header is 'Poets of the world / Poets of our time', but the underlined header is 'International Poetry Congress.'
These naming questions are very interesting in themselves and, unless I'm missing something, we don't seem to have a real sense of how the International Poetry Incarnation became one of its most-used titles.
According to a syndicated news article from AP (Associated Press?), it comes from Ginsberg when they were sitting on the Albert Memorial on Wednesday, 9th, two days before the event, for that famous photograph. It was reported that he came out with a spontaneous utterance: "International poetry incarnation! World declaration of hot peace, peace shower! Spontaneous planet chant carnival! Mental cosmonaut poet epiphany!" So, it seems to originate from before the RAH event even occurred. The press just latched onto Ginsberg's mad quote and ran with it. The quote appears in loads of American regional newspapers on Thursday 10th! They were picking up on the fact that a woman, Jill Treibner, had booked the Albert Hall for her American boyfriend, Daniel Richter.
Yes, that abbreviation is Associated Press. And It sounds very much as If you have tracked down the source for the phrase International Poetry Incarnation! Thanks, Roger.
Interesting to read the comment about "accessible poems." I've been listening to a lot of recordings of Beat poetry readings from the mid-to-late fifties and the success of the event so often depended on how "accessible" the poems were. The Beat poets themselves hated Ginsberg's "America" but crowds went wild for it. McClure's poems often went over really poorly because listeners didn't quite get them. Whalen's first and second poems of a reading were usually not understood but then readers got what he was doing and appreciated those that he read after. You sometimes think looking back that these great poets with great poems would just be understood and that their readings would be wonderful but of course sometimes--like any of us--they had their off days and bad choices.
Anyway. A great interview as usual from Leon. Well done.
We might also take into account the massive challenge of finding a repertoire at the Albert Hall event that could connect with such a huge space and 7,000 listeners. The intimacy of the Six Gallery, the close connection between readers and audience, was a very different place when compared to the International Poetry Incarnation.
It's a very good point, David. For all the energy and acclaim generated for a poem like 'Howl' in October 1955, I wonder how accessible such a long and densely packed work of art would have been to those gathered in the Six Gallery on that evening.
Jonah Raskin writes: 'I appreciate Barry's refreshing honesty and his keen memory.'
Thanks, Simon and Leon. Interesting how the name of the event has had so many variants. I have a copy of a typed sheet (downloaded probably from an auction website) that records the final press bulletin for the Albert Hall event. As Miles says, the header is 'Poets of the world / Poets of our time', but the underlined header is 'International Poetry Congress.'
These naming questions are very interesting in themselves and, unless I'm missing something, we don't seem to have a real sense of how the International Poetry Incarnation became one of its most-used titles.
Yes - good question - at what point did that become the most commonly used title?
Well, it is used on the yellow flyer for the Blakean Invocation, so I'm guessing the term was being used pretty early on.
According to a syndicated news article from AP (Associated Press?), it comes from Ginsberg when they were sitting on the Albert Memorial on Wednesday, 9th, two days before the event, for that famous photograph. It was reported that he came out with a spontaneous utterance: "International poetry incarnation! World declaration of hot peace, peace shower! Spontaneous planet chant carnival! Mental cosmonaut poet epiphany!" So, it seems to originate from before the RAH event even occurred. The press just latched onto Ginsberg's mad quote and ran with it. The quote appears in loads of American regional newspapers on Thursday 10th! They were picking up on the fact that a woman, Jill Treibner, had booked the Albert Hall for her American boyfriend, Daniel Richter.
Yes, that abbreviation is Associated Press. And It sounds very much as If you have tracked down the source for the phrase International Poetry Incarnation! Thanks, Roger.
Do you have access to press reports from the U.S.? They would be invaluable research material for me.
I will email them over.
Thank you.
I would very much like to see that. Can you email or message me with a photo of it.
Just emailed you Leon...
Thank you.
Interesting to read the comment about "accessible poems." I've been listening to a lot of recordings of Beat poetry readings from the mid-to-late fifties and the success of the event so often depended on how "accessible" the poems were. The Beat poets themselves hated Ginsberg's "America" but crowds went wild for it. McClure's poems often went over really poorly because listeners didn't quite get them. Whalen's first and second poems of a reading were usually not understood but then readers got what he was doing and appreciated those that he read after. You sometimes think looking back that these great poets with great poems would just be understood and that their readings would be wonderful but of course sometimes--like any of us--they had their off days and bad choices.
Anyway. A great interview as usual from Leon. Well done.
We might also take into account the massive challenge of finding a repertoire at the Albert Hall event that could connect with such a huge space and 7,000 listeners. The intimacy of the Six Gallery, the close connection between readers and audience, was a very different place when compared to the International Poetry Incarnation.
It's a very good point, David. For all the energy and acclaim generated for a poem like 'Howl' in October 1955, I wonder how accessible such a long and densely packed work of art would have been to those gathered in the Six Gallery on that evening.
Great interview - both questions and answers.
Brings a now almost mythic event into clear human, all-too-human, terms.
I always enjoy Leon's and Miles' work but this interview is simply outstanding.