JOHN GIORNO IN NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 2012. COAT: GIORGIO ARMANI. SHIRT: DOLCE & GABBANA.

SHIRT, PANTS, AND BELT: DOLCE & GABBANA. SHOES: KENNETH COLE.

GROOMING: VALERY GHERMAN FOR CHANEL/DE FACTO

GIORNO HANDING OUT POEMS, 1969. PHOTO: FRED W. McDARRAH/GETTY.

GIORNO AND JIM GRAUERHOLZ WATCH AS BURROUGHS DRAWS A BLACKJACK FROM HIS HIP, 1985. PHOTO: ALLEN GINSBERG. © ALLEN GINSBERG/CORBIS.

GIORNO WITH KEITH HARING AND WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS AT A SHOOTING RANGE, LAWRENCE, KANSAS, 1987. PHOTO: KATE SIMON. © KATE SIMON.

GIORNO IN ST. MARTINS, WEST INDIES, 1969. PHOTO: JASPER JOHNS. COURTESY OF GIORNO'S PERSONAL ARCHIVE.

GIORNO AND GINSBERG AT CBGB IN NEW YORK, 1970. PHOTO:STEPHANIE CHERNIKOWSKI/ REDFERNS.

GIORNO WITH WYN CHAMBERLAIN, SOUTHHAMPTON, NEW YORK, JULY 1970. PHOTO: SALLY CHAMBERLAIN. COURTESY OF GIORNO'S PERSONAL ARCHIVE.

GIORNO AND BURROUGHS IN THECHELSEA HOTEL, NEW YORK, 1965. PHOTO: WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS. COURTESY OFGIORNO'S PERSONAL ARCHIVE.

GIORNO AT GINSBERG'S FARM, CHERRY VALLEY, NEW YORK, 1970. PHOTO: ALLEN DELOACH. COURTESY OF GIORNO'S PERSONAL ARCHIVE.

GIORNO'S EATING THE SKY, 2009. COURTESY NICOLE KLAGSBURNGALLERY.

GIORNO'S LIFE IS A KILLER, 2009. COURTESY NICOLE KLAGSBURN GALLERY.

GIORNO'S WORDS COME FROM SOUND SOUND COMES FROM WISDOM WISDOM COMES FROM EMPTINESS, 2009. COURTESY NICOLE KLAGSBURN GALLERY.

GIORNO WITH MAURICE, BRION GYSIN, STEVE LACY, ALLEN GINSBERG, BERNARD HEIDSIECK, AND GERARD-GEORGES LEMAIRE IN PARIS, 1973. PHOTO: FRANCOISE JANICOT.

GIORNO PERFORMING AT ST. MARK'S CHURCH IN NEW YORK, 1981. PHOTO: SARAH WELLS.

STILLS FROM ANDY WARHOL'S SLEEP, 1963. © 2013 THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM, PITTSBURGH, PA, A MUSEUM OF THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. FILM STILLS COURTESY OF THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM.