Straight Around Allen

Today we are delighted to announce the release of Straight Around Allen: On the Business of Being Allen Ginsberg, by Bob Rosenthal. This intimate and poetic memoir brings the reader into the life the work of Allen Ginsberg like no other.

About the Book

Allen Ginsberg was not just a poet; he was one of the most recognizable and outspoken public figures of the late twentieth century. From the mid-fifties onward, Ginsberg was rarely out of the public consciousness as he raised civic and spiritual awareness for all causes large and small. He traveled the world, reading poetry in more than sixty countries, and managed to organize university degrees and mentor young poets.

Arranging Allen’s life took a team of dedicated and talented people, and of these people poet Bob Rosenthal worked as Allen’s personal secretary over two decades. In this intimate new book, he tells what it was like to be behind the scenes of the Allen Ginsberg industry. From first encounter to Ginsberg’s death, Rosenthal recounts the highs and lows of employment in the internationally most-famous-living poet’s circle, in a book that is in turns poignant and hilarious, always fascinating.

Inside the Book

Here is a sneak peek into this unique, beautiful text:

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Kind Words

Here’s what Beat scholar Ann Charters had to say:

Written straight from the heart, Bob’s book will survive as an invaluable companion to Allen Ginsberg’s poetry. What a great poet! What a great American life!