Columbia University
In the late 1940's Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac met at Columbia University. After meeting and being introduced to William S. Burroughs, Lucien Carr and Herbert Huncke the initial group of Beat writers began developing and homing their unique literary style. The group scoured the dark side of society in search of artistic liberation. Despite being educated the core Beat writers harbored disdain for the infamous pretentiousness of traditional Academia. When Lucien Carr, the undeclared leader of the group, killed the lovesick stalker David Kammerer the group was shaken but continued to press forward with their experimental new style of ideology and poetry. The traumatizing event would influence the remaining writer's works however. Jack Kerouac wrote twice about the murder in The Town and the City and Vanity of Duluoz. A collaboration novel regarding the event was also created with William S. Burroughs called "And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks".
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Core Beat Writers
Allen Ginsberg
One of the founding fathers of the Beat Generation, Ginsberg wrote the popular poem Howl which was revolutionary in it's explorations of sexuality, anguish and social issues for the time period. Ginsberg was also an influential figure in the counterculture movement coining the term "flower power" and expressing strong anti-war sentiments toward Vietnam. |
Jack Kerouac
Another founding member, Kerouac became a underground icon for the movement. His most popular work On the Road was an autobiographical account of his road trip from the US to Mexico and received critique for it's homosexual references. Kerouac was also known for interesting religious beliefs which mixed Catholic spirituality with Buddhism. |
William S. Burroughs
While living in New York City Burroughs befriended Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac and began writing about his heroin addiction. His first semi-autobiographical work Junkie described drug abuse in shocking detail. Burrough's would later write the controversy-driven novel Naked Lunch which underwent a court case under US sodomy laws. |
ruth weiss
Though the work of female beat writers is often disregarded poets like ruth weiss still influenced the Beat Movement heavily. Weiss published most of her work in Beatitude, the first magazine to give the Beat Generation a platform to speak. She spelled her name in lowercase to protest the "law and order" of organized grammar. |
Herbert Huncke
Herbert Huncke is best known for coining the term beat. Though the author and poet published many of his notebook writings they were not very successful. Huncke's legacy stands more in his influential nature on many of the other members of the group. He is depicted in many of the other author's works and was regarded as a deviant muse. |