Allen Ginsburg and the HOWL Festival

So this is it kids, summertime is officially over and this weekend marks the death rattle! For NYC people its been a bit of a weird summer: no sun until July, an extreme and very smelly heat wave and the death of like a billion public figures which of course was not unique to NY but added to the strangeness of the season.

Fall is one of the best times of all to be in New York ; it’s crisp, gray, the leaves on our few trees turn, peacoats come out, stockings are slid on and it’s like back to school in a way.

To usher in the season tonight is quintessential artsy New York event, the HOWL festival.  The schedule for the fest can be scoped out here and kicks off today with a reading of the titular poem by Allen Ginsburg at 6 PM at that epicenter of  East Village chaos and creative history, Tompkins Square Park.  Twenty poets from the downtown scene will read their own work and then join each other on stage to read Allen Ginsberg’s face-meltingly gorgeous epic praise poem. Even if you’ve read it, go to the reading. Even if you hate poetry go to the reading. This is unlike any other poem and hearing it live will knock you on your ass and revive your love for this town.

Reading of Howl
6PM-8PM
Tompkins Square Park
St Marks Place & Avenue A