The Beat Generation was marked by freedom of the press, a general scorn of censorship of any kind, and a carnival-esque spirit of hedonism in both lifestyle and art.
It encompassed writers, poets, artists, musicians, political activists, and other assorted creative types, even religious devotees.
A movement started by a group of people in the 1950’s, the Beat Generation influenced every aspect of its’ devotees lifestyles, from politics to religion to their various beliefs about writing and art. Marked by its prominent location in two major cities- New York and San Francisco- the Beats were easy to find reading in coffeeshops, living in apartments together, and living outrageously and (most importantly), freely.
The typically liberal members of the Beat Movement also had a period of religious revelation- a good portion of them embraced Buddhism as their religion. Kerouac’s Dharma Bums studies the concept of Buddhism, Philip Whalen was a Zen Buddhist priest, and heavily influenced Gary Synder and many other major players in the Beat Movement.
Some of the most important members of the Beat Movement included authors Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, William S. Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, poets Allan Ginsberg, William Carlos Williams, and artists Jay Defeo, Franz Kline, and Wallace Berman.
Of course, the most important part of the Beat Generation is the legacy that they left behind. The Beat Movement can still be seen today through the works of many modern artists. This site investigates the relationships between the great artists of the Beat Movement and the great artists today- how they interact, and how the greats of today were influenced by the Beats, whether subconsciously or overtly.
Kerouac, Ginsberg, Orlovsky (back row), Corso and Orlovsky's brother Lafcadio (front row) while traveling in Mexico
(courtesy of wikipedia.org)
To Learn More About Various Aspects of the Beat Movement and How It Effects Artists Today, Check Out: