Saturday Memory for July 18, 2026
July
18
Saturday Memory
July 18, 2026
It was 1992. Santa Monica. A large event with several hundred in the audience. I had called the conference “Writing Inside Out.” The presenters were Annie Dillard, Allen Ginsberg, Natalie Goldberg and me. What I am remembering is at one point Allen and I were talking about my visit to Sorley MacLean, the great Gaelic poet. Allen said: “Hold on, Russ. I want to give something to your son.” He picked a small book from his leather bag, jotted a few liners and a doodle in it and handed it to me. “He will like this.” It was a copy ofHowl, the book he had been prosecuted form. Indeed, my youngest son, who is the poet among my children, was happy to have it. Quite a memento!
Now, that is a wonderful memory even without the treasure of being gifted Ginsberg’s book. I remember reading Annie Dillard’s book, ‘Pilgrim at Tinker’s Creek,’ and being enthralled by it. It was a very special book. And I really enjoyed reading about Ginsberg when he toured with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review in 1975, and how he and Dylan visited Jack Kerouac’s grave in Lowell, MA. Clearly, you were in amazing company at that conference, as were they!
How beautiful Russ! And also so poignant….
Xo