In 1962, William Burroughs, a member of the Young American Disaffiliates (YADS), more commonly referred to as the Beat Generation, was brought to trial for accusations of obscenity regarding his published book, Naked Lunch. The Beats, as a counter-culture and anti-establishment group, not only experimented with innovative writing styles, but most pertinently with sensitive content […]
Manuscript Item: William Burroughs, “Letter to Paul from the Rue Git Le Coeur,” c. 1950s. William S. Burroughs collection, circa 1950-2004 This letter is a correspondence between William Burroughs and his friend Paul in 1960, upon Burroughs returning from Tangier. Burroughs speaks to where he desires to travel next, and does so with a sense […]
Correspondence: Allen Ginsberg, Correspondence from Ginsberg, 1974-1975. Raymond Danowski Poetry Library collection, circa 1904-2013. Allen Ginsberg’s career includes writing, political/social activism and mentorship. As it relates to mentorship, Ginsberg earned the reputation of being supportive of his generation of writers and those that followed him. This personal passion turned into to a profession when he […]
The digital exhibition reconsiders counterculture as a medium that encompasses both academics and activists as pioneers of post war and beat culture. Through a collection from the Rose Library at Emory University, especially the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, this exhibit presents a new definition of the term “counterculture” itself and shows many Beat and countercultural […]
The Beats popularized and subverted the idea of being “down and out” or on the fringes of society as a rebellion against the establishment. However, the grand ideas of license, liberty, and reclaiming adversity ultimately fell flat, co-opting marginalized groups and people who really were “down and out.” Though the Beats changed American culture forever, […]
Title: Daring and Dreaming The items in this exhibit – whether they be posters, poems, books, letters, or essays – show the separation of the Beat generation from the mainstream while also showing its unity within itself. The Beat generation found unity in becoming the voice of a philosophy of freedom – freedom of politics, […]
In sifting through a collection of correspondences and works by members of the Beat generation, we have each gravitated towards various themes that were explored by the different members of this famed literary group. On display is a select group of documents, each of which can be viewed as a point of entry into the […]
This digital exhibit covers many aspects of the Beat Generation spanning the literary, political, and religious facets of their movement. The digital cases provide historical, cultural context for understanding who the Beats were, and what their purpose was. Viewers of the exhibit gain an extensive understanding of the main representatives of the generation, such as […]
Key Ideas: resistance, movements, significant figures, inspiration Pay Off: This digital exhibition will provide insight on significant figures and movements associated with the Beat Generation that are often overlooked in order to provide a deeper understanding of the counter culture movement. Big Idea: The Effects of the Beat Generation in propelling the Counter Culture Movement
Bob Dylan, author, Clinton Heylin, editor, Saved!: The Gospel Speeches of Bob Dylan, (Madras; New York: Hanuman Books, 1990). When Bob Dylan rose to fame in the early 1960s, many fans and critics pointed out similarities between Dylan and the Beat Writers. While likenesses are found in writing style, influence over modern society, and preference […]