Beats Movement Notes
originating in the 1950s and centred in the bohemian artist communities of San Francisco’s North Beach, Los Angeles’ Venice West, and New York City’s Greenwich Village. britannica.com
beat comes from jazz music and culture of drugs, spirituality, buddhism, and exploratation of spirituality
Allen Ginsberg:
birth and death years: (1926-1997)
major works: Howl, Kaddish,
“the foundation of Ginsberg’s work was the notion that one’s individual thoughts and experiences resonated among the masses”
Grew up in New Jersey, went to Columbia University, arrested by SFPD for the obscene language in Howl, later cleared
Howl became the manifesto of the Beat Movement in San Francisco
William Burroughs
egs.edu
1914-1997
went to Harvard
out homosexual
know as Godfather of Punk
addicted to heroin
his undreground work Naked Lunch is most well know and later turned into a movie
got away with killing his second wife Joan vollmer
joined the army
Jack Kerouac:
1922-1969 born in massacusetts and raisied as a roman catholic
died at the age of 47 in Florida married to Stella Sampas
got a football scholarship to Columbia University
coined term Beat Movement
famous work: on the road
joined the merchant marines then went back to Columbia then joined the navy
Neal Cassidy 1926 – 1968
Major figure in the beats movement
Born in Utah
knew Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg in New York
Cassady