larkspire's review against another edition
3.0
The Poem That Changed America is a collection of criticism of "Howl", and personal anecdotes and memories of it, which has perhaps suffered from marketing that makes it out to only be the former.
I thought I would get more out of the criticism than the anecdotes, but that turned out not to be the case. Though one or two of the critical essays are terrific and (as far as I know) say new, important things about "Howl", most are middling and plod along. They analyze the same lines in the same way, and one wonders why Shindler bothered including so many essays that say exactly the same thing. Most of the anecdotes get repetitive too, and as with the essays only a handful are real standouts, but at least the vagaries of personal experiences and writing style keep things fresh.
Ultimately I don't think I'd say that owning this is essential, even for a Ginsberg devotee, and if you just want to learn more about "Howl" there are better places to start (e.g. [b:Howl: Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript & Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence|6300|Howl Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript & Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence|Allen Ginsberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387708305l/6300._SX50_.jpg|21976028]). But if that doesn't see you through to the end of your interest, there are a few tidbits in here that are at least worth a trip to the library.
I thought I would get more out of the criticism than the anecdotes, but that turned out not to be the case. Though one or two of the critical essays are terrific and (as far as I know) say new, important things about "Howl", most are middling and plod along. They analyze the same lines in the same way, and one wonders why Shindler bothered including so many essays that say exactly the same thing. Most of the anecdotes get repetitive too, and as with the essays only a handful are real standouts, but at least the vagaries of personal experiences and writing style keep things fresh.
Ultimately I don't think I'd say that owning this is essential, even for a Ginsberg devotee, and if you just want to learn more about "Howl" there are better places to start (e.g. [b:Howl: Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript & Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence|6300|Howl Original Draft Facsimile, Transcript & Variant Versions, Fully Annotated by Author, with Contemporaneous Correspondence|Allen Ginsberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387708305l/6300._SX50_.jpg|21976028]). But if that doesn't see you through to the end of your interest, there are a few tidbits in here that are at least worth a trip to the library.
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