The Beat Generation

Revolutionary people who kept “raising alternative

propositions”

The Beat Generation From this era came extraordinary literary works

from a generation of a professed bohemian writers, leading a lifestyle that raged against the economic conformity of the postwar 1950’s.

Founders: Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, not only started a new style of American literature but ignited the rebellion against social conformity in the 1950’s through their poems of social and political criticism.

The Beat Generation The materialistic decade of the 1950’s was

also a decade of conformity. This significant acquisition of goods was

driven especially by the new way the media of television and advertising portrayed the suburban family life as the ideal.

Conformity was everywhere in America.

The Beat Generation The term “Beat Generation” was first used

by poet Jack Kerouac in the late 1940’s. At Columbia Kerouac met Ginsberg. They were drawn to literature and began

using drugs to inspire them to create what they called a “New Vision” of art.

The Beat Generation The word “beat” had various definitions and

connotations for the writers such as despair over the beaten state of the individual in mass society and belief in the beatitude, or blessedness, of the natural world and in the powers of jazz music and poetry.

Scholars during this decade described the lifestyle associated with the Beats as deviant.

The Beat Generation The lifestyles which the group of Beat

writers adopted were against typical suburban, conformist family life in the 1950’s.

Beat artists and poets include: William Burroughs, Herbert Huncke, Neal Cassady and Carl Soloman, Joan Vollmer, Carolyn Cassady, Elise Cowen

The Beat Generation Artist William S. Burroughs

The Beat Generation Musicians The bebop jazz of that period was unlike anything else,

especially in NYC. Some find it inaccessible, others find it the soundtrack to the quirky groove they live in.

Some big names: Thelonius Monk: piano, very offbeat and a-melodic, a major inventor of

bebop. Miles Davis: trumpet, a wide variety from "the birth of the cool" to bizarre

electric honking - his bands over 20 years are a who's who of beat period jazz.

Charlie Parker: sax, brilliant innovator who influenced everybody, redefined jazz.

John Coltrane: sax, a strange 10yr career - 5yr descent into drugs then 5 yrs of spiritual epiphany. Alas, his body never recovered.

Charles Mingus: bass, eclectic brilliant individualist NYC band leader who went mad.

The Beat Generation Musicians

The Women of the Beat Generation The women of the Beat considered the

epitome of cool. They were black-stockinged hipsters,

renegade artists, intellectual muses, and gypsy poets who helped change our culture forever.

They were feminists before the word was coined.

The Women of the Beat Generation For women, nothing was more exciting than

leaving behind the boredom, safety and conformity found in most of the lives of a typical American women for the life of creativity.

They dared to create a life of their own.

The Beat Generation Women Number Song

I've multiplied, I'm 2He was part of mehe came out of me,he took a part of meHe took me apart.I'm 2, he's my artno, he's separate.He art one. I'm notdone & I'm still one.I sing of my son. I'vemultiplied. My heart'sin 2, half to him & halfto you,who are also a partof him, & you & he& I make trio ofkind congruity.

The Beat Generation The Beats were one of the first groups in

American history to partake in casual drug use.

Jack Kerouac was one of the first beat poets to have literature on this unconventional lifestyle published and recognized nationally.

The Beat Generation leaders Kerouac wrote his best-known novel, On The

Road (1951). Published years later in 1957, the book celebrates

freedom from conventional responsibilities, the emotional intensity of a life of hitchhiking, casual sex and recreational drug use.

This novel was the start of the Beat Generation’s journey into America’s attention as journalists gave it much press.

The Beat Generation Leaders 1955 Allen Ginsberg enrolled at the University of

California – Berkley. His small group of poetic friends from New York

would find expansion. October 7, 1955 at the Six Gallery in San

Francisco, Ginsberg organized a poetry reading. The reading was called the “Six Poets at the Six

Gallery” and was the catalyst that brought together the literary style between the East Coast and the West Coast poets.

The Beat Generation Leaders Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, sent Ginsberg

a telegram after the reading offering to publish his poetry

Ferlinghetti was charged with publishing and selling an obscene book.

Judge Clayton declared the book to have literary merit.

The Beat Generation Leaders Through their journey of social revolution,

Ginsberg and Kerouac began their quest with one idea for America in mind: TRUTH.

Kerouac and Ginsberg were forced to overcome endless societal obstacles in order to accomplish their journey of liberation.

Jack Kerouac Haiku Missing a kick at the icebox

door It closed anyway.   This July evening, a large frog

On my door sill.   Catfish fighting for his life, and

winning, Splashing us all.   Evening coming - the office

girl Unloosing her scarf.   The low yellow moon above

the Quiet lamplit house

Allen Ginsberg On the porch

in my shorts;auto lights in the rain.

Another yearhas past-the worldis no different.

The first thing I looked for in my old garden wasThe Cherry Tree.

My old desk:the first thing I looked forin my house.