Dear American Indians, Poets, and Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I share some unfortunate news. After weeks of calls and emails, Ana Ruiz from Drive Music Publishing informed me yesterday that they do not permit us to celebrate the life and work of ‘Warrior Poet’. Even mentioning his name here is considered problematic. While I am deeply saddened and devastated by this decision, I must respect the family’s wishes.
I sincerely apologize to all of you who were looking forward to this celebration. Let us hope to reunite next year at the 6th Poetry Downtown Festival, where we will celebrate the life and work of Allen Ginsberg with his iconic words:
America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing!
With pain in my heart,
Erik van Loon
p.s. Below, you’ll find my first email and their final response regarding this difficult situation.
