Wait Till I'm Dead: Uncollected Poems by Allen Ginsberg edited by Bill Morgan is the latest and possibly the last update to the complete works of Allen Ginsberg which already number at over 1,200 pages. Ginsberg needs little introduction even to the most secluded or unread person -- The standout poet from the Beat era who continued to write poetry until his death in 1997.

Wait Til I’m Dead is a collection that spans Ginsberg entire career and from a variety of publications. Included are Marrahwannah Quarterly, High Times, Shambhala, Fag Rag, City Lights Journal, and from a live impromptu performance at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. Many of these were pieces done at the spur of the moment like "Cleveland Airport." Others are memories like his last conversation with Carl Solomon as Solomon lie dying in a hospital.

The introduction is provided by Rachel Zucker who first read Ginsberg in college and want more poetry in her education. She calls Ginsberg her gateway drug to poetry. The English chair was happy to comply with Bishop, Moore, and Plath but nothing moved Zucker like Ginsberg. In what is probably the best quote on poetry I have read, Zucker says, “Allen was a good mother to me. He invited me into the kitchen of poetry and made me a sandwich.”

This is a great collection of Ginsberg’s work that has not made it in his complete collection. Because these poems were not included in the complete collection of his work one may wonder if they are worthy of reading or just poems rejected by previous editors. The work here is well worth the read. It is Ginsberg, and as far as the quality of the work, it is like a bootleg Bob Dylan concert. It is the artist in perhaps in his truest form. There is a visible evolution in the work as it covers half a century of writing that is more recognizable in a shorter collection, yet it is always, without a doubt, Ginsberg.

Death spoke out of the singer’s throat; While, staring through a drunkard’s eyes, Fate confounded drinker’s lies:
For all the drinks that they had tried, Death still sat there at their side.
And death peered with contemptuous calm. From the barman’s open palm.
“A Night in the Village”, 1944

Where can he go with alcohol and the landlord’s
eviction notice comes to us all?
gentrification will oust us from our nest
where to put books and file cabinets heavy with paper gold? Wake, smoke,
another cigarette with aching back and the last breath though cancered
throat…..
Bob Dylan Touring with Grateful Dead, 1986

I meet Carl Solomon.
What is it like in the afterworld?
“It’s just like the mental hospital. You get along if you follow the rules.”
Dream of Carl Solomon, 1996

Wait Till I'm Dead: Uncollected Poems is a worthwhile addition to any Ginsberg or Beat book collection. Grab a sandwich for poetry’s kitchen and enjoy.
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When I first read Allen Ginsberg's published poems back in high school, it set fire to my brain. He provided the introduction (for me) to a completely alien type of poetry. Reading his previously unpublished poems after not reading him for ages reminds me of how I searched for his poems and eagerly took them in so long ago. This was an unexpected gift.

I love how this collection is spread out over all of his decades, and features such a variety of subjects and forms.

**eARC netgalley**




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Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

**I received a copy of Wait Till I'm Dead courtesy of Grove Press and NetGalley. Huge thanks to them!**

Allen Ginsberg has become one of the greatest influence in American poetry and has helped to define what we now call the Beat Generation. Bill Morgan, a distinguished scholar of Allen Ginsberg, has edited this new collection of poems written by Allen Ginsberg, the first publication of Ginsberg work in over fifteen years. When I first read Ginsberg, I found his work to be harrowing, compelling, uniquely perfect, and that description has stuck with me as I continue to enjoy his work. Thus, when I saw this collection on NetGalley, I knew I would be requesting it, and fortunately I was lucky enough to receive a copy.

This particular collection is a rather sporadic and eclectic array of poems, including a variety of poems from the 1940s to 1990s that were "scribbled in letters or sent off to obscure publications and unjustly forgotten." Many of these poems were written spur of the moment or from memories and recollections of meeting certain people are random events he encountered. For instance, "The Real Distinguished Thing" is partly inspired from anesthesia laughing gas or nitrous oxide given to him during dentist visits.

This "uncollected" group of poems is sure to be a welcome addition to any fan of Ginsberg, and I felt right at home delving into this unprecedented work. I didn't particular connect with every single poem, but each held a very special meaning and conveys Ginsberg's strong, distinct tone. Some are brief and subtle, yet have a powerful, clear statement, while others are much longer and convey the wonderful style of Ginsberg in its full glory with writing reminiscent of his greatest works.

A few that stood out to me in particular were "A Night in the Village," "Thus on a Long Bus Ride," "Leave the Bones Behind," "War is Black Magic," "Busted," which reflects his drug use, and "After Wales Visitacione July," written under the effects of LSD. There are also a variety of notes at the back of the book which provide some context and background for many of the poems, which was extremely helpful and interesting.

For those wondering if these poems are worth the read since they never made it into any collected works, they are definitely worth it. Overall, I can't help but give this book a full five stars for its wonderful collection of works and reintroduction into the life and work of Allen Ginsberg. ( )