Howl and More Book to Movie News

Submitted by Tara on August 19, 2010 - 11:27am

James Franco stars as Allen Ginsberg in the film Howl, due out in October. This film, more than a biopic, is about the cultural revolution that one poem caused. Also starring are Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Bob Balaban, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeff Daniels.

Howl by Allen Ginsberg is considered to be a seminal work of the Beat Generation and was originally intended to be a performance piece. Later published by fellow Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, it was banned and considered objectionable, until a ruling in 1957 said that it was not obscene. Even 50 years later, the impact of this poem has not yet been fully realized.

More Book to Movie News:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, will star Robert Pattinson (Edward from Twilight) and is scheduled for release on April 15, 2011.
HBO confirmed that A Game of Thrones, based on the first book in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, will debut next year.
Steven Spielberg is also finished filming The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, starring Daniel Craig, with a scheduled release date of December 23, 2011.

Tara's blog

Comments

Submitted by lauriekm on August 20, 2010 - 9:41am.

This post inspired me to read it again and I found that DPL owns this little gem in the Western History Collection (not available for checkout): Howl for Carl Solomon

"This book comprises the text of Howl as it was published in 1956 with recent minute revisions by the author and the addition of a related poetic fragment The names, written in 1957, published in the Paris review for Spring 1966 and here first collected with the poem. The title-page bears the signature of the poet. The drawing for the cover is by Robert LaVigne. This edition, limited to 275 copies, was printed on handmade paper..."

Bound in decorated cloth boards; gray endpapers.

Submitted by james on August 20, 2010 - 8:45am.

During a freshman year literature class in college, our professor asked us to take turns reading Howl in its entirety. Seeing the range of emotion expressed on the reader's faces as they heard the words coming out of their mouths is something I will never forget, and has endeared me to the Beats ever since.

Submitted by Jonie on August 19, 2010 - 8:02pm.

Thanks didn't know this was coming