(CARR, LUCIEN) | Ginsberg, Allen. An extraordinary archive of letters, postcards, and miscellaneous presentation items from Ginsberg to Carr — with letters and cards from William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady, and others. 1958, 1977–1996

(CARR, LUCIEN)

Ginsberg, Allen.An extraordinary archive of letters, postcards, and miscellaneous presentation items from Ginsberg to Carr— with letters and cards from William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady, and others. 1958, 1977–1996

Allen Ginsberg. 9 autograph letters signed ("Allen"), 16 pp. (with envelopes) and 36 autograph postcards signed, New York, Boulder CO and v.p., to Lucien Carr — photocopy of a long autograph letter to St. Martin's Press, stating Ginsberg's and Carr's objections to Barry Gifford's biography of Jack Kerouac — 45 rpm  recording "Allen Ginsberg and the Gluons," featuring Birdbrain, sleeve signed "For Lucien & Sheila Happy New Year, 1981–2 Dec. 31 Allen" — a sheaf of photocopies "New Poems," inscribed by Ginsberg to Carr, 29 April 1979 — Four Changes pamphlet, inscribed to Ginsberg to Carr, 18 September 1980.

Peter Orlovsky. 2 autograph postcards signed — Jack Kerouac. Autograph envelope postmarked Orlando FL, 31 October 1957, to Lucien Carr — Wire service teletype reporting death of Jack Kerouac, 21 October 1969, with Kerouac obituary clipped from New York Post, October 1969 — Neal Cassady. Autograph letter signed, 1967, written from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where Cassidy died the following year, beginning, "Dear Lu, You old Fuck, Hows about sending me a few bucks to eat on down here?" — Edie Kerouac Parker. 3 autograph cards signed, 3 autograph postcards signed, 1 typed letter signed, 1 autograph letter signed, 1982–87, to Lucien Carr — Stella Kerouac. Autograph letter signed, 1971 — Jan Kerouac. Autograph letter signed, to Carr, 1978.

William S. Burroughs. 4 autograph cards, one (1996) with long note to Carr, 1985–96 — Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Autograph letter signed to Carr, 1986 — Robert Frank. Autograph postcard signed, n.d.  — 8 x 10 publicity photo (copy print) of Allen Ginsberg with Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of the Clash, Combat Rock Sessions.

An in-depth look at one of the earliest Beat friendships. Allen Ginsberg met Lucien Carr at the time he entered Columbia College, and the two remained close for the rest of Ginsberg's life. Ginsberg originally dedicated Howl and Other Poems to Carr, Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, but Carr asked that his name be removed from the dedication page. He was not one to court publicity or attention of any kind. He preferred to remain the one person in the group "who casts no shadow." Through Carr, Ginsberg met Burroughs, Kerouac, and Cassady. He was instrumental in all the activities around Columbia that eventually gave birth to the Beat movement. These letters and cards, written by Ginsberg and others, reveal the bonds of their lasting friendships. Ginsberg's postcards make for especially entertaining reading, as they chart his movements, thoughts, and feelings while far from home. Writing from the Naropa Institute in Boulder in 1979, he comments on a photograph of himself as a middle-aged balding poet, "Note photo of Mt. Rushmore head on reverse postcard." From the mountains of California, he writes, also in 1979, "I think I'll come back here to die, it's so quiet & pretty — buzz of flies louder than any other general sound, blue sky above treetops … feels like a dream of the universe." In another card he writes of William S. Burroughs's health problems, "Bill was on a walker, now he's on a cane & getting around, climbing stairs, no pain. Tough bird!"

This small archive provides a group portrait of the Beats, as well as an intimate look at Allen Ginsberg's friendship with Lucien Carr.  

PROVENANCE:

Sold in 'Allen Ginsberg and Friends', Sotheby's New York, 7 October 1999, lot 17 (partial)