Listening to Ginsberg “Howl”

I was at the poetry reading by Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder ’51 at Reed on Feb. 14, 1956. It came about because I was at loose ends and wandering about when I saw a sign in Prof. Lloyd Reynolds’s [English and art 1921–48] calligraphy on a stand announcing the reading. I wandered in and sat down. I’m sure this was the night of Feb. 14 because there were not 20 people there, maybe half a dozen. I was struck by Ginsberg’s reading. I do remember a woman named Carol Baker whom I got to know later. About four years later I married Bob Allen, who was a friend of Gary Snyder’s. I’m almost 80, so I just decided to write stuff down. 

 

Joan Berray Allen ’58

Globe, AZ