One of the reasons I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg was because poetry is something one rarely thinks of as being banned or challenged.
I also read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg because he was part of the Beat Generation. I haven't read anything from this group of writers before, so this was another reason I read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg.
Howl was written in 1954 and "contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices" (Wikipedia). This eventually led to the 1957 Obscenity Trial, where California Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn found that Howl had "redeeming social importance" (Wikipedia). Thank goodness for judges seeing the redeeming value of free speech and the written word.
As far as Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg goes, I am glad that I read the graphic novel edition of Howl, as Erick Drooker's artistry adds another dimension/layer to this iconic poem.
Howl makes for interesting reading, but I didn't quite grasp the meaning of the poem in its entirety and all of its nuances... Which meant looking up the meaning of various parts of this poem online.
I am giving Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.
Until my next post, happy reading!
I have read some beat literature. I especially like Jack Kerouac: On the Road (his most famous but maybe not his best, my favorite is Dharma Bums) and Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I would think that having illustrations would make Howl more accessible. I will have to take a look! Great that you are reading banned books!
ReplyDeleteI love reading banned books and try to read at least one per year.
DeleteI didn't realize that Ken Kesey was a beat author. I read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in high school many moons ago and remember enjoying it.