The merger of Mondo Beat and Onda Verde gave wings to the magazine "Mondo Beat".
It must be understood that the youths of Mondo Beat, on the run from family and school, hitchhiking from one city to another so as not to be caught by the police, often in prison, rarely wrote articles for Mondo Beat magazine. Instead there were secondary school students who wanted to publish, but they have often written nonsense. As I have already said, there was a deafening publicity on the Beat Generation, mainly on Allen Ginsberg, which was orchestrated by Fernanda Pivano with the aim of confusing the Italian provincials, to prevent them from participating in a true revolution, the one triggered by Mondo Beat. Of course, Fernanda Pivano was put on the altars by the Establishment media and many of those students who wanted to publish in Mondo Beat magazine, such as Renzo Freschi, were confused by Fernanda Pivano. Melchiorre Gerbino had a holy patience to endure them, because not only did they write nonsense, but they also believed that they were cutting-edge intellectuals.
But finally, thanks to the merger of Onda Verde and Mondo Beat, the articles written by Antonio Pilati and Marco Maria Sigiani brought the wind of true counter-information to the pages of Mondo Beat magazine. Pilati and Sigiani wrote on the Dutch Provos and on the events at the University of Berkeley and, on the other hand, focused their criticisms on the conditions of the Italian school. They were original intellectuals, some of whom, Gianfranco Sanguinetti and Marco Maria Sigiani, were the forerunners of the Situationist International, of which they would become famous representatives.
Thus, even if Onda Verde had no more than twenty young people and had neither a magazine nor a seat, its contribution to Mondo Beat magazine has been precious since, thanks to this, the Magazine took root more deeply in the schools of Milan.
Two youths from Onda Verde in the evening under the arcades of Piazza Duomo.
The poster reads "Conscientious objection" (to compulsory military service).
>
"Mondo Beat/Onda Verde - Numero Unico" (Issue 2) - December 30, 1966 - Edition: 5,200 copies.
Note:
The first two pages of this issue were printed by letterpress, the others were mimeographed.
Contributors and comments on the articles:
page 1-
The cover was conceived by Melchiorre Paolo Gerbino. The text reads 'Vittorio Di Russo imprisoned in San Vittore'.
page 2-
"Paolo", who signs the editorial, is Melchiorre Paolo Gerbino. I dedicated the cover and the editorial to Vittorio Di Russo, recalling how he was in prison due to an unconstitutional police injunction and a consequent unconstitutional sentence by the judiciary.
On the same page 2
"Pourquoi ces cannons?" (Why these cannons?) by Gianni Milano. The title of this article was written in French, by Gianni Milano, as the Piedmontese pseudo-intellectuals suffer from French cultural complexes and Gianni Milano was from Turin. Now, let's say a few words about Gianni Milano. As I have already said, at the beginning of November 1966, Fernanda Pivano, Vittorio Di Russo and I were in Verona at Mr. Donà's house, and I have described how Vittorio Di Russo had a paranoia crisis in that circumstance. Together with us in Verona, there was also Gianni Milano, who gave me this article, asking for publication in the Magazine. I published the article, afterwards I asked Gianni Milano if he wanted to join the editorial staff of the Magazine. But, after consulting Fernanda Pivano, he has rejected my offer. And when it would have been evident that there was an irremediable contrast between Melchiorre Gerbino and Fernanda Pivano, Gianni Milano would have taken position in Fernanda Pivano's field, consequently, he would have taken a negative stand towards the Mondo Beat Movement. But, over the years, Gianni Milano has understood what historical significance Mondo Beat had and therefore he has tried to appear as one of its significant characters. At that, Melchiorre Gerbino has felt compelled to expel Gianni Milano from the history of Mondo Beat, kicking him in the ass officially. In the reconstruction of Mondo Beat's history in Italian, there are details on this kicking in the ass Gianni Milano received from Melchiorre Gerbino (here) but I don't think Gianni Milano is such an interesting character that I should translate all this into English.
page 3-
"Le scelte castrate" (The castrated choices) (1) by "Agor" (Antonio Pilati).
An essay on the illusion of making choices in a system where everything has been homogenized, therefore the individual, whatever choice he makes, is predestined to live in an already planned dimension.
"The castrated choices" is one of the most brilliant articles published in Mondo Beat magazine. Thanks to this article, Melchiorre Gerbino was facilitated in obtaining registration in the Special List of journalists from Lombardy as director of the fortnightly student magazine "Mondo Beat". In fact, a copy of this second issue of the Magazine was delivered to Luigi Marinatto, a councilor of the Order, who had to decide whether to authorize registration or not. Luigi Marinatto liked the line of the Magazine and so much this article "The castrated choices", that he expressed his congratulations to Antonio Pilati. But Luigi Marinatto would have had problems because of his approval of the ideological line of Mondo Beat magazine, as Melchiorre Gerbino would have shown an inflexible determination on affirming civil rights and the Mondo Beat Movement would have made this commitment the cornerstone of its conduct. Given that the Mondo Beat Movement would be animated by thousands of young people of all social classes, this would have caused a great concern in the Vatican who, behind the scenes, ruled Italy with corruption and Mafia murders.
Yes, Luigi Marinatto would have had problems. May the memory of Luigi Marinatto last as long as the memory of Mondo Beat.
The article "The castrated choices", by Antonio Pilati and the appreciation of Luigi Marinatto
page 4-
"Le scelte castrate" (The castrated choices) (1) by 'Agor' (Antonio Pilati). Continuation of the article from the previous page.
On the same page 4
"Lettera al Partito"(Letter to the Party) by Antonio Mariani. With this letter, Antonio Mariani distanced himself from all political parties, interpreting the position of the Mondo Beat Movement, which rejected all the political parties represented in the Italian parliament at the time. Antonio Mariani was the main character of a group of Beats in the city of Monza.
page 5-
"Lettera di dimissioni" (Letter of resignation) by Lorenzo.
Lorenzo, following fashion, wrote a protest poem in the Beat Generation style. As he needed a starting point, he imagined resigning from a company for not to be deprived of the best years of his life. With so many problems he surely had in his life, he imagined one he didn't have! See the consequences of the brainwashing done by Fernanda Pivano!
page 6-
"I beatniks oggi" (Beatniks today) (1) by Renzo Freschi.
Renzo Freschi feverishly plagiarizes the writings of CIA agent Fernanda Pivano.
page 7-
"I beatniks oggi" (Beatniks today) (2) by Renzo Freschi. Continuation of the article from the previous page.
But, thanks to the articles of the Onda Verde guys, published in this issue, Renzo Freschi would have understood that was more appropriate if he wrote about the conditions of the Italian school, which he suffered on his skin. And i would do from the next issue. Finally!
On the same page 7:
"Pensaci bene, Giacomino" (Think hard about it, Giacomino) and "Il Mondo Beat dei piccoli" (Mondo Beat for children), by Melchiorre Gerbino. These were mockeries that Melchiorre Gerbino did respectively to the publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli (who sold buttons with protest slogans, applied by the provincials on their clothes) and to those who attended Fernanda Pivano's literary salon.
page 8-
Poems by Tella (Tella Ferrari) and Anita.
Tella Ferrari, a 16 year-old Israelite girl, did the precious job of preparing all the mimeograph matrices of this second issue of the Magazine, typewriting two copies of each page. Unlike my gross way of typewriting, which I did for the first issue of the Magazine, Tella Ferrari's was clean and error-free.
page 9-
"Dio esiste/Dio non esiste" (God exists/God does not exist) by "G.F.S." (Gianfranco Sanguinetti).
Gianfranco Sanguinetti on the existence of God.
Gianfranco Sanguinetti was a forerunner of the Situationist International, of which he would become a famous representative.
On the same page 9:
"Introduzione al Buddismo" (Introduction to Buddhism) (1) by Gennaro De Miranda.
As I have already documented, the body of Gennaro De Miranda, the author of this article, was found in a ditch between two roads, not far from Umberto Tiboni's apartment, where he used to sleep. At the beginning of the investigations, the scientific police expressed doubts about the dynamics of the death of Gennaro De Miranda, whether he had been hit by a car and his body pushed into a ditch near the place of the accident, or if he had been killed elsewhere and his body was transported and abandoned where it was found. But then a lady, who lived in a house in view of the street where Gennaro De Miranda's body was found, said she heard a loud noise that night, like that of a man's body hit by a car. The moment when that lady heard this noise coincided with the moment when the scientific police calculated that Gennaro De Miranda had died. So, the case was classified as a road accident.
page 10-
"Introduzione al Buddismo" (Introduction to Buddhism) (2) by Gennaro De Miranda. Continuation of the article from the previous page.
This article was in one of Gennaro De Miranda's pockets when he was found dead. He intended to write about Buddhism in the Magazine, being a Buddhist himself. After his death, no one would write about it. In fact, Melchiorre Gerbino, Antonio Pilati, Marco Maria Sigiani, were far from Buddhist contemplation. They had, as a reference, Bertrand Russell, Wilhelm Reich, Jean-Paul Sartre, Peter Cadogan, Mario Savio and, of course, Bernhard de Vries, who launched the first smoke bomb on the occasion of the wedding of Princess Beatrice with Claus von Amsberg.
page 11-
"Per una grammatica sociale del sesso" (For a social grammar on sex) (1) by Marco Maria Sigiani.
A brilliant essay on a taboo subject. Marco Maria Sigiani has contributed to giving an original line to Mondo Beat magazine more than any other. And he was not only the most original, but also the best informed on significant international events.
page 12-
"Per una grammatica sociale del sesso" (For a social grammar on sex) (2) by Marco Maria Sigiani. Continuation of the article from the previous page.
This essay is particularly based on the function of the conjunction "and" in evoking different sexual situations between Carlo and Anna, depending on whether Carlo is rich or poor ... Anna married or single ... as programmed by the code of morality of power.
page 13-
A text by Andrea Valcarenghi on the merger between Mondo Beat, Onda Verde, Sacco e Vanzetti Provos, which took place in his home on December 15, 1966.
The meeting was attended by Antonio Pilati, Gianfranco Sanguinetti, Marco Maria Sigiani, Andrea Valcarenghi, representing Onda Verde; Giuseppe Pinelli, representing Sacco e Vanzetti Provos; Gunilla Unger, Umberto Tiboni, Melchiorre Gerbino, representing Mondo Beat. The procedure of the merger was officially open by two butlers in livery, to the surprise of Giuseppe Pinelli and Melchiorre Gerbino who, during the many bows of the two butlers, exchanged amused glances. Thus, Melchiorre Gerbino has believed that Andrea Valcarenghi, with this, wanted to clarify that he had no complexes because of his aristocratic status. In fact, one of the fathers of Anarchism, universally recognized as such, that is Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin, was a Russian prince who has never manifested complexes, as an anarchist, because of his aristocratic status. But Melchiorre Gerbino soon would have understood that Valcarenghi's case was different than Kropotkin's, due to a different intelligence quotient of the two. However, those were the days when we were very optimistic and Gerbino believed that one could stimulate a growth of intelligence in Valcarenghi. But Gerbino was wrong, as Valcarenghi would have shown how the stupid gets worse over time.
We will have occasion to talk about this.
page 14-
The Onda Verde logo was created by Enea. The text was written by Andrea Valcarenghi.
Enea, a 17-year-old Milanese boy, had previously created the Mondo Beat logo.
Under the Onda Verde logo, Andrea Valcarenghi wrote that Onda Verde wanted what young people want.
