LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 Feb Grand Format Book & Manuscript #682  / 

56334

Allen Ginsberg Two Autograph Letters Signed

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:160.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 500.00 USD
Allen Ginsberg Two Autograph Letters Signed
<B>Allen Ginsberg Two Autograph Letters Signed "</B></I><B><I>Allen</B></I></B></I><B>,"</B></I> on one page, 8.25" x 10.5". Tanger c/o U.S. Consul, Maroc, August 1, 1961. From Tangiers, Morocco, to Oleg and Marie Orlovsky, father and sister of his life partner, Peter Orlovsky. Poet Allen Ginsberg was one of the founders of the Beat movement which included poet Peter Orlovsky. Ginsberg met Peter Orlovsky in San Francisco in 1954 and encouraged him to write poetry. They were life partners, with short periods of separation, until Ginsberg's death in 1997. Ginsberg listed Orlovsky as his spouse in his Who's Who entry. In full, "<I>Dear Oleg - Peter took off for Gibraltar & then Greece yesterday - so I'm mailing this letter he left behind. He's in very good shape now, recovered from jaundice & off on his own traveling toward Istanbul - he'll be fine & I guess he'll write you. Probably I'll see him in a few months somewhere in the East. Allen</B></I>." Beneath this letter, Ginsberg pens another complete letter: "<I>Marie - Say hello to Lafcadio </B></I>[her brother] <I>for me - I wrote him a letter & will write again. Hope you are OK & enjoying living in N.Y.C. I'll see you again in a while when I get back - don't know when. Tell yr Maman Peter is in fine shape & off independent on his own & it's good for him - he's always been with me, or taking care of other people, & for once he has a chance to fly around & invent his own world & operate Solitary & seek what he likes without huge Crowds of friends around him - Everything is OK - How are you? Love Allen</B></I>." Small cut at right blank edge, probably when the envelope was opened. Ginsberg's letter was enclosed in a 5.75" x 4" airmail envelope which Peter Orlovsky had addressed by typewriter to his mother, Mrs. Katherine Orlovsky, at the family home in Northport, Long Island. Orlovsky has handwritten his return address at the upper left: "<I>Peter Orlovsky/c/o American Embassy/Beirut, Lebanon</B></I>." Stamp removed, but with partial Arabic postmark. Cut open at left, torn open at bottom. Peter Orlovsky. Type Letter, not signed, three pages, 8.25" x 10.5" with 14 lines on an 8.25" x 2.5" fourth page, each numbered by Orlovsky in the upper left corner. There are many misspellings; portions quoted are the way Peter wrote it. In the blank left margin on the first page, he has handwritten "<I>Letter for Marie, Oleg & Nick ect</B></I>." Oleg was his father, Marie and Nick his sister and brother. First, longer part to his father is dated July 26th; second part to sister Marie is dated July 28th. In part, "<I>My traveling prospects fine-I am now in Tangers-lovely here & lovely young arab girl-friends. I have decided to travel along to Istambol...I do this all alone, by my self-you ask how come I decided to travel by my self?-Well, many reasons-most of all because I want to be alone & traveling by myself-its that I feel when I am by myself that I learn more & do things more the way I want to do things...the pesific differance between me & allen & Gregory </B></I>[Corso] <I>& Bill </B></I>[Burroughs] <I>is that I feel there is a god in all of us thats wants the universe to come together on a huge bed of love & Allen & Gregory & Bill feel that the God of War is the god that wins out in the end & so all they do is think about death & how they are going to feel when they are old about death---I feel that there is the vast beauty in all of us that must come togeather before we die to make for a todal love hum that will bring devine joy & execitty to the universe...So you think I look like a beatnick, Oleg? Well then I'll try to look like Terky Beatnick-or Russian beatnick--. Or something...</B></I>" Over a page is about health, doctors, blood pressure, medical remedies, heart attacks, etc. The letter to Marie is shorter. In part, "<I>In 2 days I get on boat for Patreuss, Greece & from there take train for 10 hours & land in Athens & there be amid the olden Temples & marble collems & statues of Appolo's naked body & fine chest & curve of back & ass-they were great artists & makers of beautiful statues...I also wrote Janine 9 page letter with pictures...she is a good girl & if you see her tell her I wrote her maney letters & have been sad that somewhow she has not answered me-I lover her & want to hear from her...</B></I>" Both Ginsberg's and Orlovsky's letters were enclosed in the same envelope. Included is an 8" x 11" page from the Winter 2004 issue of <I>Zembla Magazine </B></I>reproducing a newly discovered photo contact sheet depicting 12 nude photographs of Peter Orlovsky talking with Allen Ginsberg, both seated, taken in Richard Avedon's studio. The collection is in fine condition.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Flat Material, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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