Poetry - The Beat Generation

Carr and Ginsberg Meet

Sep 3, 1943

Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg meet while at Columbia and begin forming a "New Vision" of literary expression. They're inspired by the writings of Arthur Rimbaud.

Collaboration

Sep 17, 1944

This year marks the first meeting of of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs and Herbert Huncke in New York City. All are prominent writers in the Beat era.
Image: Jude Rouslin

Neal Cassady

Oct 3, 1947

Ginsberg and Cassady meet at Columbia. Cassady becomes Ginsberg's muse, as well as his sometimes lover. Cassady and Kerouac develop a strong friendship that later inspires the novel On the Road.

"Beat Generation" term is Coined

Mar 25, 1948

Kerouack coins the term "Beat Generation" in a conversation with a journalist. It was actually Herbert Huncke who originally came up with the term "beat" in a conversation with Kerouac. Kerouac meant the connotations of being "upbeat", "beatific", and the musical association of being "on the beat".
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Ginsberg Arrested

Dec 17, 1949

Ginsberg is arrested for possessing stolen goods and marijuana. He pleads insanity and is sent to a mental institution. While there he meets Carl Solomon who later publishes William Burroughs's first novel, "Junkie." Ginsberg dedicates much of "Howl" and "Kaddish" to Solomon.
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Start of "On the Road"

Sep 19, 1951

Kerouac writes the initial draft of "On the Road" and becomes interested in Buddhism. Kerouac typed the entire first draft on a single piece of tracing paper. Burroughs accidentally shoots and kills his wife, Joan.
(Image by Atelier Bagatelle)

San Francisco Beat

Jul 13, 1955

The San Francisco Renaissance era is ushered in at the Six Gallery Event where all the Beat boys gathered. Ginsberg's "Howl" is read in public for the first time.
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Mountains and Rivers Without End

Oct 20, 1956

Gary Snyder and Kerouac hole up in a mountain cabin. They write and begin studying the concepts of Zen Buddhism, which will heavily influence Beat literature.

"Howl"

Mar 25, 1957

Ginsberg's poem "Howl" is tried for obscenity, but is found "not guilty" beacause it's deemed to have socail value. This verdict goes down in history as a landmark court case for the protection of free speech.

Diane di Prima

Aug 17, 1957

di Prima meets Beat writers Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, along with a few other prominent writers in the scene. di Prima is considered a bridge figure between the east and west coast Beats, as she has lived and worked in both New York and San Francisco.

"On the Road"

Sep 5, 1957

Jack Kerouac's autobiographical novel "On the Road" is published. This is considered one of the most prominent novels of the Beat era.
(Image by Geminianum)

"Beatnik"

Apr 2, 1958

The term "Beatnik" is coined by Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle, a play on the name of the recent Russian satellite Sputnik and Beat Generation. This suggested that beatniks were "far out of the mainstream of society" and "possibly pro-Communist".
(Image by Derek Art)

End of the Movement

Sep 22, 1960

The Beat Generation movement has begun to fade.