On This Date

On October 7, 1955, Allen Ginsberg performed his poem Howl live for the first time at the Six Gallery in San Francisco. This poem would cause much controversy for decades to come for its references to sexual practices and illegal drugs. Through this controversy, Howl would help to open doors for other artists seeking to publish works whose themes or content was deemed inappropriate for the public.
Around the world, the publication of this poem was very important. Recently, on October 7, 2005, the 50th anniversary of this first performance was celebrated in San Francisco, New York, and, in the UK, Leeds.
I appreciate this event because of the challenged it posed to the question of what was appropriate to include in public works of art, and the expansion of possibilities that occurred as a result.