John Giorno - the death of William Burroughs

The originator of Performance Poetry in New york, John Giorno elevated Spoken Word to a high Art Form. One of the most innovative and influential figures of 20th Centrury poetry since 1960, John Giorno's career spans forty years. John Giorno's work, written, performed, recorded and presented, has changed the way the world views poetry forever.

"John Giorno raises questions to an almost unbearable pitch, to a scream of surprised recognition. His litanies from the underworld of the mind reverberate in your head and ventriloqize your own thoughts."
William S. Burroughs

His book You Got To Burn To Shine (Serpent's Tail, 1994), details his deeply personal memoirs, including the story of his relationship with Andy Warhol (Giorno was the star of Warhol's first film, Sleep, 1963), his anonymous sexual encounter with Keith Haring (he and Keith later became good friends), and his thoughts about the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of death in the age of AIDS.
Founded in 1965, Giorno Poetry Systems innovated the use of technology in poetry, working with electronic and multi-media, and creating new venues, connecting poetry with new audiences.
In 1968, John Giorno created Dial-A-Poem innovating the use of the telephone for mass communications. Dial-A-Poem was the first time the telephone was used to communicate mass audiences. Dial-A-Poem's enormous success, receiving millions of calls, gave rise to a Dial-A-something industry, from Dial-A-Joke, to phone sex, to 900 numbers. Dial-A-Poem ushered in a new era in tele-communcations.
Giorno Poetry Systems has released over forty LPs and CDs of poets working with performance and music, numerous cassettes, videopaks, poetry videos and film. Giorno also makes silk-screen and lithograph Poem Prints. For over thirty years, John Giorno is Buddhist meditation practioner in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. His teacher is His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. Giorno hosts many great Tibetan lamas, who visit New York, and give teachings at 222 Bowery, New York, in three lofts in a historic landmark 1884 building. 222 Bowery is the home of Giorno Poetry Systems.

Initiateur de la Poésie-Performance à New York, John Giorno a élevé le ‘Spoken Word’ a des sommets artistiques. Une des plus innovantes et influentes figures de la poésie du 20ème siècle depuis 1960, la carrière de John Giorno couvre quarante années. Son travail écrit, performé, enregistré et joué, a changé la perception du monde de la poésie.

Son livre You Got To Burn To Shine (Serpent's Tail, 1994), décrit ses visions personnelles profondes, raconte l’histoire de sa relation avec Andy Warhol (Giorno est la vedette du premier film de Warhol, Sleep, 1963), sa rencontre sexuelle anonyme avec Keith Haring (John et Keith sont devenus par la suite bons amis) et relate ses pensées sur la compréhension de la mort dans le Bouddhisme Tibétain à l’époque du SIDA.
Fondé en 1965, Giorno Poetry Systems a innové par son utilisation de la technologie en poésie, utilisant l’éléctronique et le multimédia, créant de nouveaux lieux de réunions, reliant ainsi la poésie à de nouveaux publics.
En 1968, John Giorno a crée Dial-A-Poem usant le téléphone comme nouveau moyen de communication pour de grandes audiences. L’énorme succès de Dial-A-Poem, recevant des millions d’appels, donna naissance a une Dial-A-something industry, du Dial-A-Joke, aux phone sex, aux 900 numéros. Dial-A-Poem introduit une nouvelle ère dans les télé-communications.
Giorno Poetry Systems a publié 40 LP et CD de poètes travaillant la performance et la musique, de nombreuses cassettes, vidéopacks, films et vidéos de poésie. Giorno réalise aussi des poèmes sur épreuves lithographiques et sur soie. Depuis presque trente ans, il pratique une méditation dans la tradition Nyingma du Bouddhisme Tibétain. Son professeur est sa Sainteté Dudjom Rinpoche. Giorno accueille de grands lamas Tibétains, qui visitent New York et enseignent au 222 Bowery, New York : trois lofts dans un repère immobilier historique de 1884. 222 Bowery est le coeur du Giorno Poetry Systems.