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Ginsberg’s Beat memories

Visionary writer’s photographs now on display

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Allen Ginsberg, a visionary writer and author, was also a photographer. An exhibit of his work is on display at the National Gallery of Art. (Photo courtesy of National Gallery of Art)

He saw “the best minds” of his generation” destroyed by madness and as “angel-headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night.”

He was like an Old Testament prophet preaching in jeremiad poetry to post-World War II America. He was Allen Ginsberg, a visionary writer and author of the above famous opening lines of his celebrated poem “Howl.”

He was an anarchist at heart and anti-war activist, who would try by chanting to levitate the Pentagon in 1967, and avatar to his poetic muse the romantic poet Shelley who had called poets the unacknowledged legislators of mankind.

And he was the iconic poet of gay consciousness and sexual liberation of all men as possible brothers, and indeed as lovers. He channeled the “barbaric yawp” of that poet of free verse and gay affection, Walt Whitman.

But he was also a photographer. And it was Ginsberg, who died in 1997 at age 70, whose little-known treasure trove of photographs — taken of himself and other celebrated “Beat” writers such as Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, among others, between 1953-1963 — forms the remarkable exhibit of some 80 black-and-white portraits in “Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg,” on view now at the National Gallery of Art’s West Building through early September.

That Ginsberg was gay was never in doubt in “Howl,” his first big success in 1956, in which he sang of those who “purgatoried their torsos night after night, with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares, alcohol and cock and endless balls,” and in fact the poem is far more explicit about the particulars of fellatio and sodomy and yet from the very beginning it was hailed as a notable part of the new literary canon.

Eye-opening indeed, and so are this set of unself-conscious photographs that form an intimate vision of Ginsberg as a young man finding his way “to see the world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wildflower” as one of those who inspired him the most, William Blake, once declared to be the object of poetry.

His postwar generation, including writers like Truman Capote and Norman Mailer, musicians Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, painters like Larry Rivers and Jackson Pollock, “celebrated an art that was full of rebellion, risk, and experimentation, and one that was highly expressive of their personal experience [and] … a romantic, almost heroic faith in their art and in its redemptive qualities,” says Sarah Greenough, the National Gallery’s senior curator of photographs and curator of this stellar exhibition.

They were soon hailed as “the Beats,” a term taken “from slang first used by jazz musicians and hustlers … to denote not only the down and out but also the physically and emotionally exhausted,” says Greenough.

“Wild child” Ginsberg, while briefly studying literature at Columbia University, famously found himself in Oedipal revolt against his teachers. Instead, Ginsberg followed other teachers — romantic poets like Shelley and sometimes opium-smoking symbolists like Rimbaud, Hart Crane and Dylan Thomas, and of course most of all Whitman, alive to all sensations in his “Song of Myself,” and all of whom Ginsberg called his “secret heroes.”

“What would Allen say? What would Allen say?” Greenough asked aloud about this exhibit in a preview opening of the show, which went public on May 2. And she imagined him answering while chanting in “his candid and even beseeching voice,” with his “deep appreciation for the vernacular and the power of perception.”

In fact the photographs were taken by Ginsberg almost nonstop as he carried his $13 Kodak camera everywhere in his peripatetic life, beginning in 1953 in Greenwich Village and later San Francisco and then “on the road” in Europe, India and Southeast Asia until he lost the camera in 1963 and with it also his interest in recording life as “snapshots” of what he called “certain moments in eternity” and “the sacredness of the moment.”

All along he simply showed them to friends and then tossed them as forgotten “keepsakes,” packages of negatives pushed to the back of a desk-drawer or shoved to the bottom of his closet, where they would remain ignored by him until the early 1980s. At that point, Ginsberg came to realize that he should show them to the world — reprinted and sometimes enlarged, with extensive written inscriptions added.

Ginsberg later said that they were “meant more for a public in heaven than one here on earth, and that’s why they are charming.”

In addition to photographing his lifelong lover and companion, Peter Orlovsky, as youthful and so sexually appealing, Ginsberg also recorded snapshots of the bisexual writer Jack Kerouac, with whom he was in love, and the older novelist William S. Burroughs.

Burroughs in fact lived with Ginsberg for three months and the younger man wrote that the novelist whom he saw as “the most intelligent man in America … fell in love with me and we slept together and I saw a soft center where he felt isolated, alone in the world.” Ginsberg later admitted he took advantage of their intimacy to “invade” Burroughs’ privacy and record him lying in bed, clad only in his underwear and glancing longingly toward him.

Such photos form the backbone of this exhibit, telling a story from his earlier life but also his later life, for he resumed taking pictures from the early 1980s until his death – revisiting people like Orlovsky and Kerouac later in their lives and new faces like Bob Dylan. See this exhibit for the narrative of a generation and the faces that depict it, in this first scholarly presentation through Sept. 6.

Greenough herself will give a public lecture based on her exhibit catalogue, including a book signing, at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 23. Gallery talks meanwhile will be offered by lecturer Diane Arkin at 11 a.m. on May 18 and 25, and June 1, 15, and 17.

Other events – held in the NGA East Building auditorium – include films:

• “Lowell Blues” (2000), celebrating Jack Kerouac’s early years and featuring actor Johnny Depp, musician David Amram, and poet Gregory Corso – 2 p.m. Saturday, June 26.

• “Patti Smith: Dream of Life” (2008), the documentary record of the punk singer, songwriter and poet and Beat avatar as recorded by filmmaker Stephen Sebring, 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 27.

Also, the NGA’s summer tradition, the “Jazz in the Garden” concert series, begins its 10th season on Friday, May 28 with weekly performances every Friday evening from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden. In honor of the exhibit, the first concert, May 28, features be-bop jazz performed by female jazz vocalist Leslie Summey.

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Bars & Parties

MAL kicks off Jan. 11 with Bootcamp

Mid-Atlantic Leather begins with party at Bunker

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MAL Weekend kicks off next week. (Image courtesy of Bunker)

Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend arrives next week with a kickoff event Thursday, Jan. 11 from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Bunker. Organizers at Kinetic promise a surprise drill sergeant who will whip you into shape. Joshua Ruiz DJs the event. This event is for VIP pass holders only; visit kineticpresents.com for details.

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Bars & Parties

A roundup of New Year’s Eve parties in D.C.

Celebrate the start of 2024 in style

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Xavier Entertainment LLC will host the seventh annual Times Square NYE Celebration at 10 p.m. at Ivy City Smokehouse. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

New Year’s Eve 2024 at Lost Society will be at 7 p.m. at Lost Society. There will be unique entertainment all night along with a journey of the senses through captivating light shows and LED displays, music, and bottle service presentations throughout the evening. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Busboys and Poets will host New Year’s Eve Open Mic and Party at 10 p.m. at 2021 14th St., N.W. This will be an evening of poetry, live DJ, dancing, food, and good company in a vibrant atmosphere where local artists take the stage, showcasing their talents in various genres. The night will be hosted by the talented Charity Blackwell and will feature award-winning poet Black Chakra. Dyanna Monet will deejay. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

QueerTalk DC will host Sapphic New Year’s Celebration at 8 p.m. at FigLeaf Bar & Lounge. The event will celebrate Sapphic, trans, and non-binary communities and feature complimentary hors D’oeuvres, a Champagne toast and DJ sets by DJ Clamazon and DJ Q. For more details, visit Eventbrite

The Queers Upstairs will host Heels & Ties: A Queer New Years Eve Surprise at 9 p.m. at Aliceanna Social Club. This evening will be an unforgettable LGBTQ New Year’s Eve party where you can sip your favorite cocktails and enjoy small bites while dancing the night away with music from DJ Rosie & DJ Missy. Tickets start at $30 and can purchased on Eventbrite

BuffBoyzz Gay-Friendly Male Strip Clubs will host a male revue that caters to men and women at 8 p.m. at Buffboyzz Male Strippers. The event will be an exciting, entertaining and sexy show of exotic male dancers in that will entertain your pants off. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

International Events Washington DC will host the 2024 Black Tie New Year’s Eve Gala at 7:30 p.m. at the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. There will be free-flowing Champagne, an open bar, a spectacular balloon drop in the Euro Discotheque Ballroom and live bands and DJs. For dinner, guests can choose from an elegant sit-down, three-course dinner with Champagne or a dinner buffet of international cuisine. Tickets start at $189 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Social Architects will host the 12th Annual New Year’s Eve Casino Night at 8 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington, Va. There will be six rooms of entertainment spread across three floors. The DJs will spin hip hop, R&B, salsa, Afrobeats and old school music. Tickets start at $60 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

Pitchers and A League of Her Own will host a NYE party with complimentary Champagne toast at midnight, party favors, and a DJ all night long.

Shaker’s plans a drag extravaganza with Tatianna and Crystal Edge among others starting at 10:30 p.m.; the $10 cover includes a glass of Champagne. 

Bunker hosts a 12-hour masquerade ball with several DJs, including Joe Gauthreaux. The party starts at 9 p.m. and goes until 9 a.m. on Jan. 1. Tickets start at $45 and are available at bunkerdc.com.

DJ Alex Love spins NYE at Dirty Goose with drink specials at midnight.

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Bars & Parties

Labor Day sees return of SunFestival to Rehoboth Beach

DJs, live auction, comedy and more planned for end-of-summer bash

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A scene from previous SunFestival celebrations. (Blade file photo by Daniel Truitt)

Labor Day Weekend in Rehoboth Beach brings more than the end of summer — it brings the annual SunFestival celebration benefitting CAMP Rehoboth.

The weekend promises two nights of revelry with entertainers and nationally known DJs creating the “ultimate party to close out summer” Sept. 2-3.

Saturday’s $45 general admission tickets are sold out but you can join a waitlist at the event’s website. That ticket grants you access to a comedy show and an auction where you can bid on six experiences like an eight-day boat tour through Belgium and the Netherlands or a week’s stay in Lisbon, Portugal. Organizations have donated these experiences to CAMP to auction off, with all proceeds going to the organization.

The $95 pass to both nights is also sold out. But general admission tickets for the Sept. 3 dance party starting at 7 p.m. with DJs Robbie Leslie and Joe Gauthreaux remain available. CAMP Rehoboth promises a “state-of-the-art club-like atmosphere,” with new design elements and video imaging.

Visit camprehoboth.com for tickets and more information. The weekend’s schedule is below:

Saturday, Sept. 2: A Night of Comedy, Drag, and Song, plus a LIVE Auction! (Doors Open at 6:30 p.m. Auction and show promptly start at 7:30 p.m.) Featuring Dixie Longate and Randy Roberts.

Serving up Tupperware lady realness, join in Dixie’s living room party and all its hilarity. Randy Roberts brings thrills with uncanny impersonations of iconic female vocalists and cabaret.

Experience a night filled with laughter and song as these talented performers will lift your spirits and tickle your funny bone. And not to be missed: the live auction. Check out the live auction items camprehoboth.com/sunfest2023live.

Sunday Sept. 3: A Night of Dance. (Doors open at 7 p.m. Dance ends at 1 a.m.) Featuring DJ Robbie Leslie and DJ Joe Gauthreaux.

Both DJs will offer an unforgettable musical journey starting with classic mirror ball memories, dance floor anthems, and the latest club beats, according to a CAMP Rehoboth statement. Events are held at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, which CAMP promises will be transformed “into the ultimate dance party to close out the summer.”

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