March 24th is Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s 100th birthday. Poet, painter, socialist activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers, Ferlinghetti has dedicated his life to poetry and free expression over the course of the US’s shifting attitudes towards censorship in the media in the 20th century. As the defendant in the 1957 Howl Obscenity Trial, Ferlinghetti was backed by the American Civil Liberties Union when he won the case in which California State Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn ruled that Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and Other Poems was of “redeeming social importance” and therefore not obscene. Paying tribute to this historic moment and honoring Ferlinghetti’s life and ongoing work, Howl! Happening is delighted to host in New York City a 100th birthday party celebration in association with City Lights Bookstore and Knopf Doubleday publishers. The day will include a launch of Ferlinghetti’s new novel Little Boy. Featuring Ed Sanders, Hettie Jones, David Henderson, Eileen Myles, Bob Holman, Anne Waldman, Helixx C. Armageddon and more. The afternoon of celebrations will also feature a screening of Chris Felver‘s documentary Ferlinghetti as well as clips from Bob Holman’s United States of Poetry and the NET documentary USA: Poetry.
New York City, NY; NYC