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With: Two autograph letters and three autograph postcards, each signed by Allen Ginsberg, plus a 2-page typescript translation of Yevgeny Yevtuskenko’s poem “On Freedom Question,” signed by Ginsberg (dated Feb. 1972) and a photocopy of the published American appearance of the poem. Letters and poems, 11x8½"; postcards 3¼x5½".

Ginsberg had been requested to translate some poems and in the initial letter dated July 30, 1969, he protests that it would be several months work for him to do the translation and “I can NOT make any arrangements to work by any deadline.” He further states: “I am emphatic because I suffer physical illness from the anxiety of trying to fit my consciousness to other people’s mechanic deadline and on present assailed by many such deadlines which have political / social / economic but not artistic rationale. Good luck to you w/ your project.” In January 1970 he once more protests that he is absolutely unable to do the translations because “I have not even found time to type my own poems this year.” In Oct. 12, 1970 postcard he reluctantly agrees to try the translation because “my conscience is bad.” The Nov. 1970 card informs the publisher that he has lost the copy of the Yevtuskenko poem that they sent him and requests another copy. A final note in Feb. 1972 accompanies a typescript of his translation of the poem “Freedom Question” which had already been translated by someone else and published but he suggests that they might be able to use his version in some of the publication, which has several differences but little change in the meaning. Ginsberg had met Yevtuskenko for the first time in April 1965 and once again at a poetry festival in Nicaragua in January 1982. Also, includes a hand-written description of this collection, by Ed Blair.