Defining the Beat Movement

Of course, this could be an entire essay, so I'll have to abridge it into a few points:

Here are aspects of a definition according to Allen Ginsberg:

• Spiritual liberation, sexual "revolution" or "liberation," i.e., gay liberation, somewhat catalyzing women's liberation, black liberation, Gray Panther activism.
• Liberation of the word from censorship.
• Demystification and/or decriminalization of some laws against marijuana and other drugs.
• The evolution of rhythm and blues into rock and roll as a high art form, as evidenced by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and other popular musicians influenced in the later fifties and sixties by Beat generation poets' and writers' works.
• The spread of ecological consciousness, emphasized early on by Gary Snyder and Michael McClure, the notion of a "Fresh Planet."
• Opposition to the military-industrial machine civilization, as emphasized in writings of Burroughs, Huncke, Ginsberg, and Kerouac.
• Attention to what Kerouac called (after Spengler) a "second religiousness" developing within an advanced civilization.
• Return to an appreciation of idiosyncrasy as against state regimentation.
• Respect for land and indigenous peoples and creatures, as proclaimed by Kerouac in his slogan from On the Road 'The Earth is an Indian thing.'

It is interesting how many o

f these apply to different movements around the United States, especially "radical" movements such as Occupy Wall Street.

I guess it emphasizes how the Beats inspired the Hippies, the anti-war movements (to follow), and even the environmental and political activist groups wishing for equality and/or continuity of our environment.

-Adam J.

Ginsberg Cited from http://www.heureka.clara.net/art/beat-generation.htm