"Moloch whose mind is pure machinery! Moloch whose blood is running money! Moloch whose fingers are ten armies!"

Today is the 53rd anniversary of Allen Ginsberg reading "Howl" for the first time. The reading took place at the 6 Gallery in San Francisco on October 7, 1955, and was organized by Kenneth Rexroth. Other poets reading included Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia, Michael McClure, and Jack Kerouac.

Here's a video someone made, which is, I think, quite poignant in how it superimposes the second section of "Howl" over stock footage from American educational/propaganda films. Definitely worth watching.