Ginsberg eventually authorized her lobotomy-a decision her doctor recommended but one that wracked Ginsberg with guilt for the rest of his life (the poem “Kaddish” pays tribute to Naomi’s life and to Ginsberg’s struggle with her legacy). Naomi also had schizophrenia she spent much of her later years institutionalized. Ginsberg absorbed his parents’ obsessions-most notably, his father’s love of the written word and his mother’s encouragement of radical politics. His Russian Jewish mother, Naomi, was a communist, and his father, Louis, was a poet and high school teacher. It remains one of the most well-known poems from the Beat Generation to this day.Īllen Ginsberg (1926-1997) was born in Newark, New Jersey, on June 3, 1926. Despite the dark vision, “Howl” also offers hope and solidarity through rebirth and celebration. Themes include the horrors of US capitalism, mental illness, heteronormativity, gay pride, embracing quotidian beauty, authenticity, and more. Regardless of one’s stance on the matter, “Howl” paints a dark vision of America: Angels in mortal form search for meaning and connection while traversing a dystopian country run by bloodthirsty capitalism personified. Others argued (and still do) Ginsberg eventually bought into the very system that “Howl” vehemently critiques. Early detractors of “Howl” took issue with what they perceived as a loosening of morals inherent to Beat poetry, of which “Howl” is perhaps the most well-known artifact. Neil Gaiman called her ‘the best writer of Magic there is’.Ginsberg eventually became a household name, to the point his public figure often overshadowed his prophetic yet shocking poems, and even caused some to label him a sellout. Jones’s numerous awards include the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction, two Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards and a Life Achievement Award at the World Fantasy Convention 2007.

It broke all box-office records in Japan at the time and was nominated for an Oscar. In 2004 Howl’s Moving Castle was made into an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli, Japan. Among Jones’s best-loved books are the Chrestomanci series and Howl’s Moving Castle and its two sequels.

Her magical adventures have enthralled children and adults ever since. She never ceased writing, and from 1973 onwards published many titles, which have been released worldwide in 30 languages. She and her two sisters were deprived of books but, armed with a vivid imagination and an insatiable appetite for stories, Jones wrote them herself to read to her sisters. Her family moved frequently, finally settling in rural Essex. Diana Wynne Jones had an unsettled childhood against the background of the Second World War.

Howls book