The Beat Generation by Alinea

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The Beat Timeline cont. The Beat Generation exploded onto the American literary and cultural

Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg

scene in the early 1950s, rejecting mainstream American life. The United States of the 1950s was characterized by Cold War-anxiety, conformity and political paranoia. Against this backdrop, the Beat Generation represented a cultural and artistic revolution Once labelled ‘American literature’s first rock stars’, the Beats’ radical ways of expression, vivid imagery, and raw energy have influenced and shaped American cultural life since the 1950s and continue to do so to this day. Presenting a wide variety of texts with introductory chapters, the book aims to introduce A-level students in their second or third year to the literature of the Beat Generation. Extra material available on lru.dk/beatgeneration

The Beat Generation

1956: Gary Snyder travels to Japan to study Zen Howl and Other Poems is published by City Lights books 1957: Kerouac travels to Tangiers to spend time Burroughs. So do Ginsberg and Peter Orlovsky A shipment of Howl is seized by US Customs Evergreen Review is launched. Ferlinghetti, along with Kenneth Rexroth, experiments with the mixing of poetry and jazz at a bar called The Cellar in San Francisco The Howl trial begins in San Francisco, later portrayed in the movie Howl (2010). The trial ends with Ferlinghetti being acquitted Kerouac's On the Road is published by Viking Press 1958: Kerouac's Subterranens published The first recorded use of the word ‘Beatnik’ Burroughs arrives in Paris from Tangiers Kerouac's The Dharma Bums is published 1959: Burroughs and Gysin constructs the first ‘Dream machine’ at the legendary ‘Beat Hotel’ in Paris Kerouac releases an album entitled Poetry for the Beat Generation Playboy magazine publishes articles by Kerouac, Ginsberg and Corso The Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs is published Kerouac appears on the ‘Steve Allen Show’, which at the time had more than 35 million viewers 1960: Neal Cassady is released from prison in San Quentin Kerouac spends time at Ferlinghetti’s retreat in the area of Big Sur, inspiring the book of the same name 1962: The Naked Lunch is published on US soil for the first time 1963: The Beat Hotel in Paris closes 1964: Burroughs returns to the US Neal Cassady and Ken Kesey begin their ‘Merry Pranksters’ road trip across America 1965: Gregory Corso is fired from a university teaching position under suspicion of being a member of the Communist Party Ginsberg declared ‘King of May’ in Prague 1966: The Naked Lunch is ruled to be ‘not obscene’ 1967: Kerouac writes his last novel Vanity of Dulouz Ginsberg makes a famous appearance at a rally calling for legalized pot in London 1968: Neal Cassady dies, probably of exposure, near the railroads in Mexico 1969: Jack Kerouac dies in a hospital in Florida 1973: Ginsberg wins ‘The National Book Award’ 1981: Burroughs' Cities of the Red Night is published 1983: Burroughs becomes a member of ‘American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters’ 1986: Ginsberg wins the ‘Frost Medal for distinguished poetic achievement’ by the Poetry Society of America 1991: The Naked Lunch is made into a movie 1997: Allen Ginsberg dies in his home in New York William S. Burroughs dies in his home in Lawrence, Kansas

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The Beat Timeline

Matias Andree Fredriksen & Peter Brian Hogg Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg

Selected events of the Beat Generation 1914: William S. Burroughs born in St. Louis, Missouri 1922: Jack Kerouac born in Lowell, Massachusetts Burroughs produces his first work of fiction at the age of 8, Autobiography of a Wolf 1926: Allen Ginsberg born in Newark, New Jersey 1940: Jack Kerouac starts studying at Columbia University 1943: Burroughs moves to New York Ginsberg begins a pre-law course at Columbia University Living in an apartment with girlfriend Edie Parker in New York, Kerouac meets Lucien Carr who meets Ginsberg. Through Carr, Ginsberg meets Burroughs 1944: Kerouac meets Ginsberg around January Kerouac meets Burroughs, Circle Magazine is launched Lucien Carr stabs and kills David Kammerer. The plot of this has later been turned into the movie Kill Your Darlings (2013) Kerouac marries Edie Parker and moves to Massachusetts 1945: The atomic bombs dropped on Japan effectively end World War II Ginsberg begins writing serious poetry 1946: Neal Cassady arrives in New York 1947: Ginsberg meets Cassady Kerouac embarks on his first ‘road’ trip 1948: Kerouac finishes the novel The Town and the Country John Clellon Holmes meets Kerouac at Ginsberg’s party 1949: Kerouac and Cassady set off from New York for San Francisco, the trip that is the centerpiece of On the Road Ginsberg is admitted to Columbia Psychiatric Institute where he later meets Carl Solomon, whom he dedicates Howl to Burroughs and Joan Vollmer move to Mexico City Kerouac uses the term ‘Beat’ in conversation with John Clellon Holmes 1950: The Town and the City is published Kerouac sets off again, this time for Denver and Mexico City He later returns to NYC and continues his work on On the Road 1951: Kerouac completes, in around three weeks, the first draft of On the Road on a 120 feet long scroll of taped-together paper sheets Burroughs shoots and kills Joan Vollmer by accident 1952: Go, the first book about the Beat Generation is published by Clellon Holmes City Lights magazine is launched in San Francisco 1953: Burroughs’ first novel Junkie is published Lawrence Ferlinghetti in San Francisco opens City Lights bookstore. It is still open today 1954: Burroughs moves to Tangiers, Marocco where he begins studying Buddhism 1955: Kerouac and Ginsberg meet Gary Snyder in San Francisco The ground-breaking reading of Howl by Allen Ginsberg takes place at the Six Gallery in San Francisco Snyder and Kerouac climb mountains in Yosemite National Park, inspiring Kerouac's novel The Dharma Bums

Beat The

Generation AN INTRODUCTION

Generation

ISBN 978 87 70 666534

www.lru.dk

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Lindhardt og og Ringhof Lindhardt Ringhof

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Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg

Beat The

Generation AN INTRODUCTION

Lindhardt og Ringhof

Beat The

Generation AN INTRODUCTION

Af Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg © 2016 Lindhardt og Ringhof Uddannelse, København – et forlag under Lindhardt og Ringhof Forlag A/S, et selskab i Egmont. Forlagsredaktion: Ulla Benzon Malmmose Grafisk tilrettelægning og omslag: Ulla Korgaard, Designeriet Billedredaktør: Ulla Barfod Mekanisk, fotografisk, elektronisk eller anden gengivelse af denne bog eller dele heraf er kun tilladt efter Copydans regler. Forlaget har forsøgt at finde og kontakte alle rettighedshavere. Tryk: Livonia Print 1. udgave 1. oplag 2016 ISBN 978 87 70 666 534

Contents Foreword 5 Note To Students 6

Chapter 1: Beat Historical and Cultural Context

Introduction to the chapter

What is the Beat Generation? 9 – a very brief introduction The term Beat 13 The Beat Holy Trinity 14 Jack Kerouac 15 Allen Ginsberg 16 William S. Burroughs 18 This is the Beat Generation John Clellon Holmes (Essay)

Chapter 2: Where are we Going, America?

A Supermarket in California 51 Allen Ginsberg. (Poem)

Chapter 3:

Rediscovering America: New Frontiers and Old Truths

Introduction to the chapter

Note on the Religious Tendencies Gary Snyder (Essay)

Pine Tree Tops Gary Snyder (Poem)

21 From On the Road, Part One, Chapter 11 71 Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

From On the Road, Part One, Chapter 12 73 Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

Introduction to the chapter

From On the Road, Part One, Chapter 1 Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

From On the Road, Part Four, Chapter 6 76 Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

From Naked Lunch, ‘Deposition, Testimony Concerning a Sickness’ William S. Burroughs (Novel excerpt)

From Lonesome Traveler, 81 Alone on a Mountaintop Jack Kerouac (Travel account)

From Howl Allen Ginsberg (Poem excerpt)

From On the Road, Part Five Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

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Chapter 4:

Altered States

Chapter 5: Circling the Squares

117

Introduction to the chapter

118

Essentials of Spontaneous Prose Jack Kerouac (Non-fiction)

From Big Sur Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

128

From On the Road, Part Three Jack Kerouac (Novel excerpt)

From Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hunter S. Thompson (Novel excerpt)

133

The Cut Up Method 102 William S. Burroughs (Non-fiction) From Nova Express, Gave Proof Through the Night William S. Burroughs (Novel excerpt)

107

From Naked Lunch, The Talking Asshole-Routine William S. Burroughs (Novel excerpt)

111

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 136 Bob Dylan (Song lyrics) From The Game of the Name 139 John Clellon Holmes (Essay excerpt) From Poetry as Insurgent Art 142 (I am signaling you through the flames) Lawrence Ferlighetti (Poem excerpt)

Appendix

145

Inspiration for cross-curricular work 146 Sources 147 Credits 149

Th e B e at G e ne rat i o n

Foreword Through a wide variety of texts, this book introduces students to the Beat Generation, inviting them to contextualize and actively engage in the works of this literary movement, which had a profound influence on American cultural life from the 1950s onward. The Beat Generation was not a coherent cultural movement but rather a loosely-knit group of artists and writers who rejected mainstream American life, seeking to change the political and social reality of their time. Unfortunately, the scope of the book has meant that the works of many important Beat writers have not been included, most notably Diane Di Prima, Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones, Peter Orlovsky, Michael McClure and Gregory Corso. In order to broaden their Beat horizons, we encourage students to learn more about these writers and compare their works to those presented in this book. Using various sources from the best-known Beat writers, this book consists of five separate chapters, each with its own distinct focus. Chapter 1 focuses on the historical context of the Beat Generation and briefly explains the social, political and economic developments in post-World War II America. Social and political developments in the post-World War II era are essential to understanding how the Beat movement emerged in the 1950s and blew the lid off a stagnant American cultural life. In chapter 2 students are introduced to some of the more famous and iconic Beat works by Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs. This chapter explores the spirit of protest which came to define the Beat Generation. The selected texts represent both romantic visions of an alternative America, as well as the shock and controversy stirred up by the Beats. The thematic introductory approach of this chapter aims to help students understand what is central to the literary expression of these three writers. Delving into America’s literary past, chapter 3 explains the Beat writers’ literary and artistic influences. In their writing, the Beats presented a scathing critique of 1950s American society, but in order to understand their arguments and proposed solutions, a firm grasp of American literature and history is needed. This chapter explains the Beats’ connection to some of America’s literary icons, such as Thoreau and Whitman, to America’s pre-industrial past, as well as the Beat writers’ quest to re-discover a more authentic America. Chapter 4 focuses on the literary, artistic and personal experimentation of the Beat writers. Through various experiments The Beats tried to free their minds and thereby expand their consciousness. Through their interest in psychology, Eastern religions and philosophies, and a liberal approach to drugs, the writers tried to create radical new ways of expression. The

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Foreword

chapter will provide students with a thorough introduction to various Beat experiments and the ideas that produced them. Chapter 5 focuses on the 1960s and investigates the legacies of the Beat Generation. The Beat writers seemed to disappear just as quickly as they had appeared, but they had managed to influence a great number of people and to sow the seeds of cultural change. The ideas of the Beat Generation spawned new cultural movements and artists. Presenting writers and artists such as Bob Dylan and Hunter S. Thompson, the chapter considers the legacy of the Beat Generation and invites students to consider the enduring importance of poetry and art in modern society. Study questions and suggestions for cross-curricular activities throughout the book will help guide educators and students in their study and analysis of the selected texts. However, we do encourage students and educators alike to investigate the vast amount of readily available material to further enhance their understanding and appreciation of Beat literature. Tackling Beat literature is by no means easy and some of the texts may seem challenging. Therefore, the book is most relevant for A-level classes. We recommend it for second or third year students. Extra material available on lru.dk/beatgeneration. The Authors, Spring 2016

Dear students Most of you have probably never heard of the Beat Generation, and the 1950s isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t likely to be a time in which you are greatly interested. However, the 1950s is a very important decade in American history, not only because of the coming of the Cold War, but because of a group of writers who burst onto the American literary and cultural scene and re-awoke a society stifled by paranoia, mindless consumerism and cultural conformity. This book will introduce you to some of the most influential Beat writers who were on the frontline of this cultural battle for Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart and soul, and it will give you plenty of opportunities not only to learn about the Beat writersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; revolutionary ways of expression, but also why these particular writers helped shape American culture right up until today. Furthermore, you will be able to explore the various connections between Beat writers and jazz music, art, Eastern religions and philosophies and political beliefs, which might even give you inspiration for a cross-curricular project with the Beat Generation as a central element.

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Chapter 1: Beat: Historical and Cultural Context

Chapter One 5

Beat: Historical and Cultural Context

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Introduction Beat: Historical and Cultural Context I think younger generations have been attracted by the exuberance, libertarian optimism, erotic humor, frankness, continuous energy, invention, and collaborative amity of these poets and singers. We had a great job to do, and we’re doing it, trying to save and heal the spirit of America.

Allen Ginsberg, 1996 Pre-reading 1. Go online and find information about the Cold War. Write down 5 words that you believe describe the period from around 1945 to 1960. 2. Look up the term ‘McCarthyism’ and explain why it is relevant to an understanding of American society in the 1950s.

Left to right: Hal Chase, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs near Columbia University ca. 1945. 8

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Chapter 1: Beat: Historical and Cultural Context

What is the Beat Generation? – A very brief introduction

The period of the Beat Generation only lasted around one decade, from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, but their literary, cultural and social legacies have been felt ever since, also outside the United States. Many have accepted the birth of the Beat Generation as a cultural turning point in the United States, and the major works of certain Beat writers (Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, and William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch) are now rightfully considered classics. This diverse group of artists, writers, bohemians and poets played a significant role in the cultural and social changes that America witnessed in the decades following the 1950s.

The mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion; a symbol of Cold War fear.

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Chapter 1: Beat: Historical and Cultural Context

McCarthy, Joseph Raymond (1908– 1957), “Joe” McCarthy was a U.S. Senator from 1947 until his death in 1957. He claimed that there were many Communists and Soviet agents within the United States government and other American institutions. His many unsubstantiated accusations and his bullying tactics aimed at his suspects, which became known as a ‘Witch Hunt’, finally led him to be censured by the United States Senate

The writings of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs and others gave voice to a generation of young people who came of age in an affluent society which was nonetheless characterized by traditional values and conservative beliefs. In the aftermath of World War II, the US enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. Its industry had boomed during the war and continued to do so. Productivity increased by 200 percent per capita during 1947 and 1956 alone. During the postwar years American corporations invested an average of $10 billion in technologies and machinery in order to speed up the production process. This resulted in luxuries, such as cars, washing machines, air conditioning units and the new mass medium, TV, becoming readily available to the American worker now living in the comfort of the ever-expanding suburbs.

Various aspects of 1950s consumer society. 10

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However, this affluence came about against the backdrop of the Cold War and an increasing anxiety about everything deemed ‘un-American’ by mainstream politics. The nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union and the Korean War (1950-1953) caused the United States to descend into a paranoia fueled by the anti-Communist witch-hunts of Senator Joseph McCarthy and the HUAC – the House Un-American Activities Committee. This socalled McCarthyism spread through American society at a viral pace, dragging artists, journalists, writers and filmmakers of all kinds in front of the Committee for questioning about their political beliefs and convictions. People who held beliefs that did not correspond to those of Cold War tension was big news in the 1950s

Cold War preppers in the family fallout shelter. The Be at Ge ne ration

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counter culture, a movement whose ideas and goals are different from those of mainstream society. For example, the Hippie movement in the 1960s Kesey, Kenneth Elton ‘Ken’ (1935-2001) American novelist and counter-cultural figure, perhaps best-known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) Thompson, Hunter Stockton (19372005) American journalist and author, founder of the Gonzo journalism movement Dylan, Bob (Robert Allen Zimmerman, 1941-) American singer-songwriter who first became popular in the early 1960s. Many of his songs chronicled social unrest, incorporating various social, political and literary influences, appealing to the rising counterculture of the 1960s hippie, a young person in the 1960s and 1970s who rejected social norms and who opposed violence and war. Hippies could often be recognized by their colorful clothing and their long hair Civil Rights Movement, a social movement in the United States whose aims were to end racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. and to secure the same political rights for all citizens in accordance with the Constitution and federal law

mainstream America were vilified and often lost their jobs as a result. An atmosphere of censorship and paranoia followed, engulfing large sections of American society and cultural and political life. It was against this backdrop that the Beat writers found their rebellious voices, both in terms of content as well as form, and Kerouac himself has suggested that in many ways the Beats burst onto the scene as a reaction to the narrow-mindedness of American society at that time. Their highly critical writings, combined with new ways of expressions in language, music and art propelled them onto the American literary scene, where they represented a wholly different approach to contemporary life. They sought to elude the paranoia suffocating the individual and obstructing artistic expression. Their writings were, and still are, bold and expressive, emphasizing a rejection of commercial values, consumerism, career and status. They shunned modern American society with its restrictive orthodoxy, showing keen interest in oriental religions, rhythmic jazz, drugs and pacifism. The Beats brought something new, disruptive and untamed to American society in a time of growing conformity and Cold War fear. Their insistence on the importance of personal emotion and feelings as central to their expression, and their fierce anti-elitist behavior, helped shake the foundations of the cultural and political censorship of 1950s American society. They broke the limits of literary expression with their exploration of the relationship between writing, sound, spoken words and music. An atmosphere of artistic revolt emerged from the Beat movement. This soon developed into the counter culture of the 1960s. The Beats influenced many well-known cultural icons of the 1960s and 1970, such as Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson and Bob Dylan. The Beat Generation helped to create the cultural space in which the 1960s counter culture and hippie movement could flourish. These in turn initiated further non-conformist movements in America, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-war movement. The Beat Generation represents an attempt to reclaim man’s lost sense of identity in a conformist society; an attempt to revitalize the human experience and break down constraining cultural traditions and ways of thinking. In a time of fear, rage, conformity and consumerism the Beats created an alternative vision of America and the world. This vision was and still is both relevant and needed.

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The term ‘Beat’

Although literary styles differ and themes vary in the works of the Beat writers, the Beat Generation is considered a distinctly original as well as an independent cultural, artistic and social movement which thrived in the particular climate of 1950s America. No manifesto or rule book was ever written by the ‘members’ of the Beat Generation. Instead, the Beat phenomenon was characterized by a general resistance to the established order, materialism and conventions.

hipster, a person who is street-wise, in tune with the times or ‘cool’ Huncke, Herbert (1915-1996), member of the Beat generation. A street hustler, junkie, writer and poet

The term ‘Beat’ was used by Jack Kerouac (in conversation with John Clellon Holmes) in 1948 to describe a generation of young men and women disaffected and alienated by the dominant culture of mid-century America. This understanding of the term ‘Beat’ suggests that people who considered themselves ‘Beat’ felt defeated, beaten down, tired, resigned, suffering and burdened – as alienated people pushed to the margins of existence. Kerouac recalls meeting a group of hipsters in New York City in 1944 who ‘…looked like criminals, but they kept talking about the same things that I liked, long outlines of personal experience and vision, nightlong confessions full of hope that had become illicit and repressed by war, stirrings, rumblings of a new soul (that same old human soul). And so Huncke appeared to us and said “I’m beat” with radiant light shining out of his despairing eyes’. According to Kerouac, ‘Beat’ also referred to ‘beatific’, adding an almost religious experience to the term. In his novel On the Road, Kerouac describes the character Dean Moriarty in the following way: ‘He was BEAT – the root, the soul of beatific’. His understanding of ‘Beat’ meaning beatific corresponds well with the patterns and themes of many of the Beat Generation writers, who through spiritual experiences, experimentations and alternative modes of expression, tried to achieve visions and transcendence. ‘Beat’, therefore, is not easily defined, but the term encompasses both people as well as experience. Post-reading 1. In your own words define the term ‘Beat Generation’ 2. Why do you think Beat Generation writers became famous in the years just after World War II? 3. Discuss whether literature and art have the power to influence or transform societies today.

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Times Square, major intersection in midtown New York City. During the 1940s, when the Beats met each other, Times Square was a seedy area where many criminal types would hang around American Dream, a set of ideals which includes freedom and the opportunity to become a success by working hard, no matter what your social class or circumstances of birth may be. The Declaration of Independence is at the heart of the American dream, proclaiming that, “all men are created equal” with the right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” motif, a theme or idea repeated throughout a piece of literature or music

The Beat ‘Holy Trinity’ Although there are many writers who can be described as ‘Beat’, it is safe to say that there were three main figures at the center of this circle: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, who met in New York in the 1940s. Their social scene centered on Greenwich Village, Columbia University and Times Square.

Common to this group was the belief that the powers of authority aimed to increase control over society and cut back the rights of individual freedom – the heart of the American Dream. Through their lives and their works the Beats challenged the status quo and questioned the repressive norms of American culture.

The nature of their lifestyle, which involved experiments with drugs, homosexuality, an interest in Eastern philosophy and psychology, as well as the search for new meaning in the gray anxiety of Cold War America, is obvious in their works. Kerouac’s restless travels across the American continent can be seen as a symbol of this quest for something more in life. Ginsberg’s call for greater personal freedom, especially as it relates to sexual identity, made a major contribution to changing Americans’ perception of sexuality and what is normal. William Burroughs’ recurring motifs of the junky and the parasite constitute a criticism of American injustice and corruption. Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs may have expressed themselves in quite different ways, but one thing they had in common was a love of freedom and a determination to promote it.

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Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

Jack Kerouac is the most famous figure among the Beat Generation and became known as ‘the King of the Beats’: a title he despised. He was born into a family of French-Canadian immigrants and was raised in the industrial town of Lowell, Massachusetts. Kerouac’s first language was ‘joual’, a dialect of Canadian French, and he did not speak English until he was six years old. His French–Canadian-American identity and his family’s Catholicism are important factors in all of his works. Kerouac’s interest in writing began as a youngster, creating his own imaginary worlds involving baseball, football and horse racing and writing ‘news-sheets’ about developments there. He continued to write extensive diaries (what he called ‘sketches’) which he would incorporate in his later works. While at Columbia University in New York on a football scholarship Kerouac met the other main figures among the Beats. Never one for discipline, Kerouac dropped out of university and joined the navy, but he found naval life unbearable and managed to have himself discharged as a paranoid schizophrenic. He returned to live with his mother and began writing in earnest. His first novel, The Town and the City, was published in 1950. In this, Kerouac used a number of traditional techniques which produced an orthodox novel. Although the book received some favorable reviews it was no great success. Kerouac wanted to develop his own prose style, a new American voice to record his many trips with his friend and inspiration Neal Cassidy. He called this new style of writing ‘spontaneous prose’, fast, flowing with exuberance and passion, reflecting the reckless pace of life in the fast lane. This can clearly be seen in his breakthrough novel On the Road (1957), which Kerouac claimed to have written in one 250-foot long paragraph over a period of three weeks, kept going by coffee and drugs. The personal

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kick (noun), a pleasurable emotion; thrill ‘IT’, an indescribable quality or state, varying from individual to individual, but which may be the ultimate goal of a search for something dharma, in Hinduism and Buddhism, the basic principles of cosmic or individual existence; conformity to one’s duty or nature

tone and the semi-autobiographical style of the novel mirrored a new sensibility in literature. Movement, restlessness and energy characterize Kerouac’s journeys across the vast landscapes of America, and the characters are always in search of ‘kicks’, new freedoms, a new spirituality and new possibilities: in search of the indefinable ‘IT’.

The novel was an overnight success and Kerouac was catapulted to fame as the unwilling spokesman for a generation of young people disillusioned with American puritanical, consumerist values. Kerouac was never able to repeat the success of On the Road, despite writing some thirty other works. In the late 1950s Kerouac stopped his cross-country wanderings and began to seek a more solitary existence. For years he had been dependent on alcohol and drugs. His attempt to find some relief from his troubles and a deeper meaning to life through Zen Buddhism is described in the novel The Dharma Bums (1958), as well as his difficulties in resisting the temptations of the wild life in San Francisco. During the 1960s, despite efforts to beat his alcoholism, he became increasingly dependent. This struggle is described in his last major novel, Big Sur (1962). After a steady decline Kerouac died of alcohol-related liver cancer in 1969 at the age of 47.

Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997) Allen Ginsberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He had a difficult childhood and youth owing to his mother’s mental instability as well as his frustrations and doubts about his own identity. Ginsberg began studying at Columbia University, New York City, in 1943, originally to study economics, though his interest quickly shifted to literature. In his first year he was encouraged to write poetry by Lucien Carr, one of his fellow students. At Columbia he befriended the other key figures of the Beat movement. While trying to deal with the problem of his mother’s mental instability, he was also struggling to repress his identity as a homosexual. American society at that time branded 16

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homosexuality as a criminal perversion, so Ginsberg had little emotional and physical contact. He found support and friendship in Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs. Burroughs, who was older than the others, acted as a mentor to Ginsberg and helped him to accept himself as the person he truly was and to ignore the dictates of society. Ginsberg’s poetry began to flourish. After University, detention in Columbia Psychiatric Institute (after unwittingly becoming involved in the criminal activities of Herbert Huncke, a small-time crook and junky), a couple of stints as a sailor, and some time back in Paterson, Ginsberg moved to San Francisco in 1953 where he worked as a market researcher. Here he was introduced to Peter Orlovsky, with whom he formed a life-long openly homosexual relationship.

obscenity trials, In 1957, U.S. Customs seized a shipment of Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl and Other Poems’ on the grounds of obscenity and Howl was tried in court. The charges were overturned and the judge stated that Howl had ‘redeeming social importance’. The publicity generated by the trial brought the West Coast Beat Movement into the national spotlight

In 1955, Ginsberg gave his first public reading of his poem Howl, a scathing criticism of conformist contemporary America. Howl is an expression of the pent-up energy of his generation. The poem was published in its final version in 1956 in Howl and Other Poems, which due to its many sexual images and language that seemed shocking to mainstream America led to a censorship or obscenity trial. The resulting nationwide coverage of this trial unintentionally guaranteed the Beats wide public interest and a place in American literary history. Ginsberg played an important role in tirelessly promoting the work of the other Beats. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is in William Burroughs’s Naked Lunch, which would probably never have been published if it weren’t for Ginsberg’s assistance. In the 1960s he became an icon of the counter culture movement and continued to perform his works and to collaborate with other artists (he was, for example, a mentor for Bob Dylan). In 1973, he and the poet Anne Waldman founded the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, to continue studies of Beatinfluenced works. He continued to speak out on issues such as the antinuclear movement, gay rights and the legalization of marijuana (he also accumulated a weighty FBI dossier). Ginsberg also came to work with various musicians, including ‘The Clash’ and Patti Smith. He died of liver cancer in 1997

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10.5

The Beat Timeline cont. The Beat Generation exploded onto the American literary and cultural

Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg

The Beat Generation

OMSLAG_BEAT_2.indd 1

The Beat Timeline

Matias Andree Fredriksen & Peter Brian Hogg Matias Andree Frederiksen & Peter Brian Hogg

Beat The

Generation AN INTRODUCTION

Generation

ISBN 978 87 70 666534

www.lru.dk

fold

Lindhardt og og Ringhof Lindhardt Ringhof

01/04/16 16.01