W&L Hosts Memoirist Bob Rosenthal on Poet Allen Ginsberg The event is free and open to the public, and books will be available to purchase following the reading.

By Erica Turman
February 25, 2020

Washington and Lee University will host poet and memoirist Bob Rosenthal for a public reading from his recent book, “Straight Around Allen: On the Business of Being Allen Ginsberg,” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 in Hillel. The event is free and open to the public, and books will be available to purchase following the reading.

Rosenthal was the personal secretary to Allen Ginsberg for more than 20 years. Ginsberg is known as one of America’s major poets of the last century. Ginsberg traveled America and the world, reading in more than 60 countries; supporting social, political, literary and spiritual causes; and expanding awareness and appreciation of poetry, justice and freedom throughout his life. His work has been translated into more than two dozen languages.

For over two decades, the single person who organized and facilitated most of Ginsberg’s activities was Rosenthal. The poet depended on Rosenthal to identify both roadblocks and opportunities inherent in integrating his poetic and prophetic vision with the larger world. Sometimes that included dealing with Ginsberg’s personal relationships and even arguing with him face-to-face.

Now, Rosenthal has published a memoir that presents—with both personal narrative and documentary artifacts—a rich, sometimes humorous, and always insightful depiction of his extended involvement in “the Ginsberg industry.”

The Glasgow Endowment sponsors Rosenthal’s visit.