Don’t Hesitate: Knowing Allen Ginsberg ’72 Through ’97

Marc Olmsted, a young poet, wrote to Allen Ginsberg in 1972 and was surprised to receive a reply from one of America's most important poets. This letter began a friendship that lasted for decades, taking Olmsted on a journey through the literary world. In this, his memoirs, Olmsted details the turbulent events of his own life, which include sex with Ginsberg, filming William S. Burroughs, and encounters with other important counterculture figures. This "scrapbook" contains previously unpublished poems by Ginsberg, scanned letters and postcards by the poet, and photos, paintings, and posters collected by Olmsted during their friendship.