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Fine Books & Manuscripts

Sat, Jul 8, 2017 11:00AM EDT - Sun, Jul 9, 2017 11:00AM EDT
Lot 359

Ginsberg, Alan. Five Page Autographed Letter Signed.

Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
Ginsberg, Alan. Five Page Autographed Letter Signed. (“Ginsberg” with a long-stemmed daisy drawings), February 10, 1971, 12pm, Cherry Valley, New York. To the Symphony School, Mr. Loratz (Special Events Secretary), and Students. The American poet lists his “favorite musical compositions accumulated in ear/mind” - including specific works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, “Prajnaparamita Sutra ... which will turn everyone on ... Hare Krishna Mantra ... Fugs record on which I sang, or George Harrison’s recent ‘My Sweet Lord’ ... Scott Joplin - Maple Leaf Rag ... Bessie Smith ... Ray Charles ... Opera. Bertol Bracht / Kurt Weil Magahony ... Some Versions of Rolling Stones’ Lets Spend the Night Together,” four Beatles hits, “J. Lennon - Give Peace a Chance ... Bob Dylan ...,” and others. Together with the original email addressed by Ginsberg to the teacher and school named above in La Crosse, Wisconsin, printed perpendicularly at the left edge “CIA Conspiracy / Trial Office!,” and “Free John, Pun & Jack!” along the bottom. A month prior to this letter, Ginsberg testified in pretrial hearings in Detroit for three members of the White Panther Party charged in the September 29, 1968, bombing of a CIA office in Ann Arbor: John Sinclair, John W. Forrest and Lawrence “Pun” Plamodon. The envelope used by Ginsberg to send the present letter was printed by the defense.

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