Michael Shapiro

Yet another extraordinary book from Jacob Rabinowitz. I seem to talk to Jacob several times a year. For a week or two afterwards, I'm telling friends, "You know what Jake told me the other day ...?" He is that full of stunning insights and rare and startling information. Blame It On Blake is Jake's memoir, full of history, zeitgeist, personal insight and transformation. Honest (very hard when writing about yourself), humane, rich in searching, yearning, sometimes finding and moving on. Anyone with a serious interest in the Beats needs to read this book. (Academic librarians take note!) Above all, Jake is a thinker. This book is filled with the people where the relationship was a long ongoing conversation. Most prominent of these is Allen Ginsberg, of course, but equally fascinating are people you may or may not of heard of. A superb read.