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The Beats Still Go On
Smoky coffee houses, poetry readings, black clothing, and lots of existential angst were hallmarks of the Beat writers and the freedom of speech issues they engendered during the 1950’s. Their experimentation with drugs, sexuality, and alternate spiritual beliefs established a format of disenfranchisement that continues today.
The most well known Beat writers are Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg, and the continued popularity of these writings have resulted in The Beat Museum, a celebration of art, music, and way of life. Some of the items on display here are even more popular today than they were when first released, and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, published over 50 years ago, grows in popularity with each passing generation.
If you think the issues of the 50’s aren’t relevant today, take a look at this interview of museum curator Jerry Cimino for Playboy’s series Naked Happy Girls as he talks about the Beats and free speech:
Location: 540 Broadway (at Columbus), North Beach (map)
Hours: Daily, 10 am-7 pm
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