Poet Allen Ginsberg Draws Admirers

Undeterred by wet, dismal weather, more than 100 admirers flocked to a book signing by Allen Ginsberg at Wordsworth Book Store yesterday evening.

A serpentine line of the young, the old, the ponytailed and the clean cut wound back and forth through crowded aisles, patiently awaiting the ink of the beloved bard.

Enthusiastic readers from as far away as France and Peru came to see their literary guru, bearing gifts such as sunflowers, framed photographs and handwritten poetry. Many Harvard students said they were eagerly anticipating their first encounter with the founder of beat poetry.

"It's an honor to be able to speak to and be in the presence of such a representative figure of the Beat Generation," commented Joshua Z. Yguado '98, who arrived a half hour before the book signing began.

"I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I hadn't come," said Sonja Starr '98.

Armed with nine different pens, including gold and silver in addition to basic black, the poet autographed his latest book Journals: Mid-Fifties 1954-1958, as well as earlier collections, posters, admirers' poetry notebooks and even a Bridgewater College student's paper on Ginsberg's famous poem "Howl."

Ginsberg began all messages with his devotees' full names. "I'm only on a first-name basis with people I've known for a long time or slept with," he said.

The poet decorated all his autographs with a mysterious "AH" enclosed in a circle, symbolizing a Japanese Zen one-syllable summary of afterlifeappreciation. He even drew sunflowers reminiscentof his poem "Sunflower Sutra" for some lucky fans.

Ginsberg also engaged in a number of short,friendly conversations, asking his admirers abouttheir vocations and interests and discussing hisstatements during a radio show in Boston earlierin the day

Ginsberg also engaged in a number of short,friendly conversations, asking his admirers abouttheir vocations and interests and discussing hisstatements during a radio show in Boston earlierin the day