White Shroud: Poems 1980-1985

Regardless of your feelings about the man, his lifestyle, and even his writings, one cannot deny that Ginsberg was one of the monumental figures of 20th century American literature. He was talented, prolific, and was writing good stuff up until the very end. I was very pleased with the contents of this book. At this point I've read most of Ginsberg's writings. While I do in general prefer his earlier work to his later work, I definitely enjoyed the poems in this book. I'd put it a little above his "Cosmopolitan Greetings," which I also enjoyed very much. I think it's important to not expect the Ginsberg of the 80s and 90s to be the same as the Ginsberg of the 40s and 50s. Like any creative individual, he evolved over time. Some may like the change, others apparently do not. I like all of his work, old and new, and I consider this to be as important a reading as anything else for anyone wanting to get a clear picture of the whole of Ginsberg. For those starting out with ginsberg, I would recommend the collected works book with the red cover from the same publisher to start with. But if you've already got an appreciation for the man and his work, I can recommend this volume without any reservations whatsoever. 5 stars for this one.