The Poetry and Politics of Allen Ginsberg is an inspired work about one very-celebrated poet and political activist by another remarkable poet and activist, Eliot Katz. It is a serious work about the politics and social commitment behind much of Ginsberg’s writings and is long overdue. In this perfectly researched and immensely readable book, Katz has tackled this important aspect of Ginsberg’s work and reminds peopled in this apathetic and polarized world, that raising our voices and becoming involved can make a difference. Ginsberg never shied away from addressing issues head-on and Katz’s book makes his timeless ideas shine through with crystalline brilliance.

- BILL MORGAN, author of I Celebrate Myself: The Somewhat Private Life of Allen Ginsberg

The Poetry and Politics of Allen Ginsberg is the most engaging and rigorous analysis of Ginsberg’s political poetry yet attempted. We find in these pages the astuteness of a literary critic, the contextualization of a social historian, the knowledge of a veteran political activist, the insights of a memoirist, and the aesthetic understanding of a poet. Eliot Katz wears all these hats simultaneously, and the finished product is a pleasure to read. The major strength of the work is its multidisciplinary approach. It will appeal to people interested in literary criticism, Beat poetry, American poetry, political literature, political science, and sociology. I will certainly use this book as a required text in my Beat Generation course.

KURT HEMMER, author of The Encyclopedia of Beat Literature