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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Interview by Amy Fleming

Allen Ginsberg in the back of my cab: Ryan Weideman’s best photograph

Ryan Weideman with Allen Ginsberg in the back of his cab.
‘He was pretty intense’ … Ryan Weideman with Allen Ginsberg. Photograph: Ryan Weideman

I drove a cab in New York for three decades. Riding around, I would meet poets, drag queens and other people who were inspiring. It made me feel good. I started taking their portraits, sometimes with me in the picture. I had several cameras and would often have my strobe hooked on to my visor with a rubber band.

This particular evening, in 1990, I had been informed by a friend that there was a book event going on so I went to take a look. It was jam-packed inside. I spotted Allen Ginsberg, so I went over and talked to him a little. He was pretty intense, kind of stressed, so I had to lay back a little but I asked him if he could write an introduction to my book In My Taxi. But he had too much going on.

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