Allen Ginsberg, Herbert Gold and my Man kiss

Last Friday I interviewed writer Herbert Gold for an upcoming column (which I should be writing instead of this!). We discussed Allen Ginsberg with whom Gold went to college at Columbia. I’ll be sure to mention that in the column, but two things that may not make it in I wanted to add here: First, Gold wrote a beautiful memorial piece about Ginsberg that appeared in Salon that is worth reading.

When we discussed Ginsberg Gold said that at college Ginsberg was also proselytizing for homosexuality and trying to convert Gold who was vociferous in arguing his non-interest. But he said that Allen Ginsberg was the only man who ever kissed him on the lips and he recalled the occasion occured in San Francisco at one point after Gold and Ginsberg had reconciled. Saying goodbye they sought to hug, and then Allen planted one on him.

I have a similar story to share: This was sometime around 1978 or 79 and I was at a restaurant called Mickey’s Chinese Chance at One University, which existed for a moment and was meant to be a successor to Mickey Ruskin’s Max’s Kansas City. I can no longer recall what I was doing there, but I recall that Ginsberg was, and that I went up to him to give him or to tell him I wanted to send him a poem I had written based on a reading he had given at the St, mark’s poetry project (I wonder what happened to that poem?). Ginsberg was effusive, ecstatic in his thanks and said “Oh you beautiful boy and then went to hiug me –a nd then yes planted one on my lips. I stumbeld away stunned, dazed, shocked. And can’t say I recalled the moment until I heard Gold’s story. So I guess it was just Ginsberg being Ginsberg..

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