Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Beatnik Coffeehouse

The  Beat  Generation

at the coffeehouse:
top of page
links

beverages

Zen-ness Dept. Page

          Hal Chase and Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs in New York City, 1944           on this page:

beat writers

fiction & poetry

non-fiction

audio tapes & CDs

movies & videos

         The phenomenon of the Beats [popularly 'Beatniks'] arose in public consciousness in the Summer of 1959, primarily in New York City and San Francisco and Venice Beach, California. The key personalities of the Beat movement included Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

         The earliest event was the first road trip across America by Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady in 1948. In late 1949, Kerouac first used the term 'Beat generation', in the sense of 'worn down' or 'down and out' or 'exhausted'. The second Kerouac-Cassady road trip took place in 1950, to Mexico City to visit Burroughs. In late 1952, the publication of John Clellon Holmes' novel "Go" and of his New York Times Magazine essay "This Is The Beat Generation" brought this new movement to the attention of the intellectuals and the media. In 1953, Lawrence Ferlinghetti founded the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. In August of 1954, an article by Malcolm Crowley in Saturday Review referred to Kerouac's unpublished novel "On The Road", and named Kerouac as the man who invented the Beat generation.
         Kerouac attended the seminal 7 October 1955 "Six Gallery" reading in San Francisco, which featured Michael McClure, Gary Snyder, Philip Lamantia, Kenneth Rexroth, and Philip Whalen; Allen Ginsberg recited his epic poem "Howl" for the first time publicly. In 1956, City Lights published Ginsberg's "Howl and Other Poems" as #4 of its Pocket Poets Series, resulting in an obscenity fight that was eventually won in Federal court.

         Kerouac's "On the Road" was published 5 September 1957, and was a bestseller. Throughout 1957, San Francisco's 'Poetry and Jazz' scene erupted, at The Cellar and at The Blackhawk, with similar activity in Venice Beach, CA at the GasHouse and the Venice West Cafe, as well as coffeehouses in towns big and small. On 2 April 1958, Herb Caen, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, coined the term 'beatnik' (a pun on 'sputnik'). The year 1958 also saw publication of Kerouac's "The Subterraneans" (February) and "The Dharma Bums" (October).
         In 1959, the national and international media discovered the Beats, with cover articles published by Life Magazine, Time Magazine, and others. Also in 1959, Burroughs's "Naked Lunch" was published by Olympia Press of Paris. The year 1960 saw a rash of books published on the Beat phenomenon, but public attention moved on to the Kennedy era and to the civil rights movement.

         The influence of the Beat ethic continues in America and around the world, with new books and movies still being created in the XXIst Century. And the current world of 'poetry slams' in coffeehouses attracts hordes of adults young and old. In fact, for several years time, this was the most-visited of the 9 websites at this URL; though I know not where the traffic is coming from, something drew the attention of many, including whoever is reading this now . . .
         There is lots of information on these pages, with more being added on-goingly, and lots of cool books and audio and videos and even a few posters and sound-bites.


Active Beat Writers

Diane Di Prima [1934-2020]
a prolific poet who published more than 40 books, she was named San Francisco Poet Laureate in 2009
browse booksofficial website (given up)Wikipedia

Diane Di Prima papers at University of Louisville, KY
Diane Di Prima page at cuke.com

"The Poetry Deal" 30-minute documentary film [2011]

"The Poetry Deal" [City Lights 2014] her first full-length book of poetry in decades

Lawrence Ferlinghetti
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

City Lights Booksellers & Publishers [est. 1953] of San Francisco, CA

Michael McClure
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

official Michael McClure homepage
McClure-Manzarek site

Memoirs of A Street Poet by Frank T. Rios  
"Memoirs of A Street Poet" [2002] by Frank T. Rios
Phony Lid 5¼x8 pb [5/2002] for $15.00

Ed Sanders
all books"Tales of Beatnik Glory" [2 vols]LitKicks page

Alvin Schwartz: browse booksWFC bioemail!

Gary Snyder
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

Poets.org's Gary Snyder page
Gary Snyder page at LitKicks
Gary Snyder homepage

"Turtle Island" [1974] by Gary Snyder - won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry

Selected Letters of Allen Ginsberg & Gary Snyder book edited by Bill Morgan  
"The Selected Letters of Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder"
[2009] Edited by Bill Morgan

Counterpoint 8½x5½ pb [9/2009] for $12.71
Maison d'Être Bookstore's Allen Ginsberg Page

"The Etiquette of Freedom" [10/2010] by Gary Snyder

Anne Waldman
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

Naropa's Anne Waldman page
Poetspath's Anne Waldman page


They're Gone, Man

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
entertainer Lord Buckley [1906-60] Page

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Charles Bukowski [1920-94] Page

video of Bukowski's last live poetry reading [1:14:15] at Sweetwater Inn, Redondo Beach, California on 31 March 1980

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Wm. S. Burroughs [1914-97] Page

"A Thanksgiving Prayer" [1986 poem] by William S. Burroughs
HTML text versionon-camera reading by Burroughs [2:24] at YouTube

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Albert Camus [1913-60] Page

Lucien Carr [1925-2005]
Carr was not a writer, per se, but he was the fourth key member of 'The Libertine Circle' (with Ginsberg, Kerouac & Burroughs) at Columbia
University and after, circa 1944-1951. Carr was put on trial for the murder of David Kammerer, convicted of manslaughter, and served
two years in prison. He got a job at United Press Service in 1946 and retired as general news editor in 1993.

"Kill Your Darlings" [Sony Pictures Classics Oct 2013?]
Announced 11/2011: New biopic written & directed by John Krokidas that revolves around the relationship between poet Allen Ginsberg,
author Jack Kerouac, and fellow original Beatnik Lucien Carr. Jesse Eisenberg, Chris Evans & Ben Whishaw were originally attached
to portray the trio, but later dropped out; Daniel Radcliffe {of "Harry Potter" fame} is now signed to portray Ginsberg • latest info at IMDb

Neal Cassady [1926-68]: LitKicks page

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Gregory Corso [1930-2001] Page

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Allen Ginsberg [1926-97] Page

Ted Joans [1928-2003]: browse booksLitKicks page

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Jack Kerouac [1922-69] Pages

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Ken Kesey [1935-2001] Page

lyricist & poet Fran Landesman [1927-2011]
official websiteIMDb listing [1971-2009]Wikipedia

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Dr. Timothy Leary [1920-96] Page

official Timothy Leary website [est. 1992]

Henry Miller [1891-1980]
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

official Henry Miller website
Henry Miller bio at Monterey County [CA] Historical Society
SP's Henry Miller fansite

Big Sur / Henry Miller  
"Big Sur and The Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch"
[June 1967] by Henry Miller

Henry Miller lived in Big Sur from 1944 to 1962
New Directions 8x5 pb [9/78] for $12.44

Kenneth Patchen [1911-72]
browse booksWikipedia

Poets.org's Kenneth Patchen page
official Kenneth Patchen website

Kenneth Patchen Rebel Poet  
"Kenneth Patchen: Rebel Poet In America" [2000]
by Larry Smith

Bottom Dog Press 9¼x6 hardcover [4/2000] for $25.95

Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore's
Alan Watts [1915-73] Page

Philip Whalen [1923-2002]
browse booksIMDb listingWikipedia

LitHistory's Philip Whalen page
Philip Whalen page at LitKicks

Collected Poems of Philip Whalen  
"The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen" [2007]
Edited by Michael Rothenberg

Wesleyan 9x6½ hardcover [12/2007] for $32.97


Beret  Department

John Helmer, Haberdasher [est. 1921] in Portland, Oregon - berets for $10-$62

Basque-style berets from Amazon
Kangaroo Wool Beret: unisize, black - $9.44
Kangaroo Wool Beret: unisize, red - $11.95
Delmonico Wool Euro Beret: 8 colors, unisize - $15.00
Scala Women's Basque Beret - multisize, black, 100% wool, imported from France - from $68.99
CoverYourHair brand Wool Beret for Adults - black 12-pack - for $49.99
CoverYourHair brand Wool Beret for Adults - multi-color 12-pack - for $49.99
CoverYourHair brand Wool Beret for Adults - multi-color 6-pack - for $24.99


Beat / Road Trip Fiction & Poetry

Go by John Clellon Holmes  "Go" [1952] by John Clellon Holmes
generally acknowledged as the first published Beat novel

Thunder's Mouth 7¼x5.4 pb [10/2002] for $11.17
Thunder's Mouth Press 8x5¼ pb [10/97] out of print/used
Thunder's Mouth Press hardcover [10/88] out of print/used
NAL Trade pb [10/80] out of print/used
Who Walk In Darkness by Chandler Brossard  
"Who Walk In Darkness" [orig 1952; uncensored version 2000]
by Chandler Brossard

Herodias Press 8x5¼ pb [8/2000] out of print/used
Beatsville poetry by Rod McKuen  "Beatsville" - Poetry by Rod McKuen
CD reissue of 1959 LP record
{with extras}
P22 Records audio CD [1/2002] for $16.98
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test  "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" [1967]
by Tom Wolfe

BDD 8½x5½ pb [10/99] for $10.47
Farrar Straus Giroux hardcover [1967] out of print/used
BooksOnTape audio [1/92] out of stock/used
Beat Voices Anthology  
"Beat Voices: An Anthology of Beat Poetry" [1996]
Edited by David Kherdian

Beech Tree 7x4 YA pb [9/96] for $4.95
Henry Holt 8½x5¾ hardcover [5/95] for $11.96
Jazz Blues   "The Jazz & The Blues" [2002 novel]
by G. Arthur Woods

PublishAmerica 9½x6½ pb [4/2002] for $13.97
Beat Poets  "Beat Poets" [2002] Edited by Carmela Ciuraru
listed in 'Los Angeles Times Best Books of the West 2002'

Knopf Everymans Library 6¼x4½ hardcover [5/2002] for $10.00



Beat  Links
'The Beat Generation & Beyond' Conference in Davis CA [Oct 2003 = #2]
Greenwich Village Photography by Fred W. McDarrah
Levi Asher's Literary Kicks

The Beat Page

Venice Beach Historical Site
American Museum of Beat Art (Alhambra CA)
Audio/Video Collection at U.C. Berkeley
"The Birth of the Beatnik" article in 'Richmond Review' (July 2001)
'Why The Beats Still Matter' essay by J.C. Shakespeare
'The Beatniks' Seattle WA retro band [est. 1996]
Bob Denver's official Maynard G. Krebs page
'Beat': graphic novel & filmscript 'in development'
Beatnik, Inc. digital mobile audio [est. 1996]
S Press Beatland site [German or English]
Danish Pathway to the Beat Generation [in English]
Buck's Beat Page
Jerry Cimino's Beat Museum [est. 1/2006] in San Francisco
Jerry Cimino's 'Beat Museum On Wheels' website
San Francisco Chronicle article on Beat Museum opening 1/2006
Off Beat Cinema tv show [est. 1993]
Joshua Tree [CA] Beatnik Cafe

Dutch-language article
German-language 'beatnet' site
Italian-language Beats site
Czech-language beatnik site
French-language 'Beat Whisky & Poésie' site
German-language 'Die Beat Generation' site
French-language 'This Is The Beat Generation' site

'Beat Scene' Magazine in U.K.

'Caffeine Destiny' online literary magazine [est. 1996]

Blue Neon Alley directory = abandoned?


Non-Fiction  About  The  Beats

Beat Collection anthology by Barry Miles  "Beat Collection" anthology [2010] by Barry Miles
covers writings from The Original Beats (Burroughs, Ginsberg & Kerouac - New York 1944-53), The San Francisco Scene (1954-57), and The Second Wave (New York 1958-60) including works from Gregory Corso, John Clellon Holmes, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Frank O'Hara, Diane di Prima, and Alexander Trocchi
Kindle Edition from Virgin Digital/P.R.H. UK [9/2010] for $17.99
Virgin Books 9¼x6 hardcover [3/2010] for $9.91
Virgin Books hardcover [3/2010] for $33.87

Beat Memories, Photographs of Allen Ginsberg book by Sarah Greenough  "Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg" [2010]
by Sarah Greenough

exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Art in 2010; shown at NYU's Grey Art Gallery Jan-April 2013, and scheduled in San Francisco May-Sept 2013; this exhibition catalog has 29 color and 63 tritone illustrations
Delmonico/Prestel Publng 11x9½ hardcover [5/2010] for $36.46
Beat Generation Beginner's Guide  
"The Beat Generation: A Beginner's Guide" [2007]
by Christopher Gair

Oneworld Publns 7½x5 pb [12/2007] for $11.66
Beat Face of God / Spirit Guides  "The Beat Face of God: The Beat Generation Writers As Spirit Guides" [2006]
by Stephen D. Edington

Trafford Publng 8¾x6 pb [7/2006] for $18.00
Allen Ginsberg Beat & Pieces  "Beat & Pieces: A Complete Story of The Beat Generation" [2005]
Text by Fernanda Pivano, photographs by beat poet Allen Ginsberg

Photology 11¼x8¼ hardcover [11/2005] for $54.75
Drugs and The Beats book by John Long  "Drugs and The Beats: The Rôle of Drugs In The Lives & Writings of Kerouac, Burroughs & Ginsberg" [2005] by John Long
VirtualBookworm 8¾x6 pb [10/2005] for $13.95
author's official site
American Scream Allen Ginsberg's Howl  "American Scream: Allen Ginsberg's Howl & The Making of The Beat Generation" [2004] by Jonah Raskin
Univ CA Press 8¼x6 hardcover [4/2004] for $17.47
When I Was Cool   "When I Was Cool: My Life At The Jack Kerouac School" [2004]
by Sam Kashner

Harper Perennial 8x5¼ pb [2/2005] for $11.86
HarperCollins 9¼x6¼ hardcover [2/2004] out of print/used
Beatsville  "Beatsville" [2003]
Edited by Martin McIntosh, essay by Domenic Priore

Outré Gallery Press 10x9½ pb [10/2003] import/used

publisher [in Australia] website

Beats / Literary Reference  
"The Beats: A Literary Reference" [2003]
Edited by Matt Theado

Carroll & Graf 10x7 pb [1/2003] for $16.80
Beat Essentials  "The Beat Generation" [2002]
by Jamie Russell

Pocket Essentials pb [8/2002] for $6.95
Girls Who Wore Black  "Girls Who Wore Black: Women Writing The Beat Generation" [2002]
Edited by Ronna Johnson & Nancy M. Grace

Rutgers Univ Press 9x5¾ pb [7/2002] for $22.00
Rutgers Univ Press 9.3x6 hardcover [7/2002] for $60.00
Poets On The Peaks book by John Suiter  "Poets On The Peaks: Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen & Jack Kerouac In The Cascades" [2002] by John Suiter
Counterpoint Press (7frac34;x8¾ pb [4/2002] for $28.00
Bukowski & Beats  "Bukowski and The Beats: A Commentary On The Beat Generation"
[2002] by Jean-François Duval

Sun Dog Press 9x6 pb [4/2002] for $15.95
Beat Generation Critical Essays book edited by Kostas Myrsiades  "The Beat Generation: Critical Essays" [2002]
Edited by Kostas Myrsiades

Peter Lang Publg 9x6 pb [3/2002] for $29.95
Campbell's Beat Generation book  "This Is The Beat Generation: New York - San Francisco - Paris"
[2001] by James Campbell

Univ CA Press 9x6 pb [11/2001] for $12.57
Beat Down To Your Soul book edited by Ann Charters  "Beat Down To Your Soul: What Was The Beat Generation?" [2001]
Edited by Ann Charters

Penguin 8x5¼ pb [6/2001] for $11.90
San Francisco Beat book edited by David Meltzer  "San Francisco Beat: Talking With The Poets" [2001]
Edited by David Meltzer

City Lights Books 8½x5½ pb [5/2001] for $13.97
Forest Beatniks & Urban Thoreaus book by Rod Phillips  "Forest Beatniks & Urban Thoreaus: Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Lew Welch & Michael McClure" [2001] by Rod Phillips
Peter Lang Publg hardcover [2/2001] for $45.95
Beat Hotel by Barry Miles  "The Beat Hotel: Ginsberg, Burroughs & Corso In Paris, 1957-1963" [2000]
by Barry Miles

Grove Press pb [7/2001] for $11.20
Grove Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [7/2000] for $17.50
Beat Generation & the Popular Novel  "The Beat Generation & The Popular Novel In The United States, 1945-70"
[2000] by Thomas Newhouse

McFarland & Co 9x6 hardcover [4/2000] for $29.95
Postcards From The Underground  "Postcards From The Underground: Portraits From The Beat Era" [1999] Photographs by Larry Keenan
City Lights Books 4¼x6.4 pb [9/99] for $8.95
Rolling Stone Book of The Beats  
"The Rolling Stone Book of The Beats" [1999]
Edited by Holly George-Warren

Hyperion 10x7 pb [7/2000] for $12.76
Hyperion 10.3x7.4 hardcover [7/99] for $19.25
Mad To Be Saved book by David Sterritt   "Mad To Be Saved: The Beats, The '50s, and Film" [1998]
by David Sterritt

SIU Press 9¼x6¼ pb [9/98] for $22.40
Beat Walking Tour of New York City  "The Beat Generation In New York: A Walking Tour of Jack Kerouac's City"
[1997] by Bill Morgan

City Lights 8½x4½ pb [11/97] for $10.36
Beat Spirit   "Beat Spirit: The Way of The Beat Writers As A Living Experience" [1997]
by Mel Ash

J.P.Tarcher 7.2x6 pb [10/97] for $15.95
Different Beat Writings By Women of The Beat Generation  "A Different Beat: Writings By Women of The Beat Generation" [1997]
Edited by Richard Peabody

High Risk Books 8.4x5.3 pb [8/97] for $11.19
Naked Lens  "Naked Lens: Beat Cinema" [1997]
by Jack Sargeant

'a stunning piece of scholarship'
Creation Books 9.6x6.6 pb [5/2002] for $13.97
Creation Publng hardcover [6/97] out of print/used
Beat Generation In Greenwich Village  "Beat Generation: Glory Days In Greenwich Village" [1996]
by Fred W. & Gloria S. McDarrah

Schirmer/Music Sales Corp 11¼x8¾ hardcover
[7/2000] for $21.00
Beat Speak Illustrated Glossary by Ashleigh Talbot  "Beat Speak: An Illustrated Beat Glossary - Circa 1956-1959" [1996]
Written & illustrated by Ashleigh Talbot

Water Row Press 11¼x8¾ hardcover [12/96] for $29.95
Women of The Beat Generation edited by Brenda Knight  "Women of The Beat Generation: The Writers, Artists & Muses At The Heart of A Revolution" [1996] Edited by Brenda Knight
Conari Press 8x6¾ pb [11/98] for $11.53
Diane Publng hardcover [10/96] for $25.00
Conari Press 8¼x7.4 hardcover [10/96] out of print/used
UNABR Sonic Audio read by Debra Winger [8/2000] 3 tapes for $27.94
Beat Book edited by Anne Waldman  
"The Beat Book: Writings From The Beat Generation" [1996]
Edited by Anne Waldman

Shambhala Publns 8.4;x5¼ pb [2/99] for $13.56
Shambhala Publns hardcover [3/96] out of print/used
Beat Generation book edited by Juliet H. Mofford  "The Beat Generation (Perspectives on History Series)" [1996]
Edited by Juliet H. Mofford

Discovery Enterprises Ltd. 7¾x6¾ pb [9/98] out of print/used
Beat Culture from the Whitney Museum  "Beat Culture & The New America, 1950-1965" [1995]
from the Whitney Museum of American Art

Whitney Museum pb [11/95] out of print/used
Flammarion 11¼x9 hardcover [11/95] for $55.00
Birth of Beat Generation by Steven Watson  "The Birth of The Beat Generation, 1944-1960" [1995]
by Steven Watson

Pantheon 7¼x7¼ pb [2/98] for $15.16
Pantheon 8x7¾ hardcover [11/95] for $30.00
Venice West by John Arthur Maynard  "Venice West: The Beat Generation In Southern California" [1993]
by John Arthur Maynard

Rutgers Univ Press 8¾x6 pb [7/93] for $18.00
Portable Beat Reader edited by Ann Charters  "The Portable Beat Reader" [1992]
Edited by Ann Charters

Penguin/Viking 7¾x5 pb [11/92] for $12.76
Pantheon 8x7¾ hardcover [11/95] for $30.00
Understanding The Beats book by Edward Halsey Foster  "Understanding The Beats" [1992]
by Edward Halsey Foster

Univ of SC Press pb [1/94] out of print/used
Univ of SC Press hardcover [4/92] for $29.95
Naked Angels book by John Tytell  "Naked Angels: Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs" [1991]
by John Tytell

Grove Press 8¼x5.4 pb [7/91] for $10.36
Daybreak Boys book by Gregory Stephenson  "The Daybreak Boys: Essays On The Literature of The Beat Generation" [1990]
by Gregory Stephenson

SIU Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/90] for $29.00
Desolate Angel book by Dennis McNally  "Desolate Angel: Jack Kerouac, The Beat Generation & America" [1980]
by Dennis McNally

DaCapo Press 9x6 pb [3/2003] for $7.00
Delta pb [5/90] out of print/used
McGraw-Hill pb [8/80] out of print/used
Beat Generation by Bruce Cook  "Beat Generation: The Tumultuous 'Fifties Movement and Its Impact On Today" [1971; rev 1994] by Bruce Cook
Wm. Morrow 8¼x5½ pb [6/94] out of print/used
Greenwood hardcover [6/83] out of print/used
Scribner hardcover [6/71] out of print/used
Holy Barbarians paperback by Lawrence Lipton  "The Holy Barbarians" [1959 classic]
criticism of the Beat movement by Lawrence Lipton

Olympia/Grove Press pb [1959] long out of print/rare

Audio Tapes & CDs

Beat Generation audio box set  "The Beat Generation" [1992]
voices & artists include Carl Sandburg, Jack Kerouac, Lord Buckley, Ken Nordine, Allen Ginsberg, Wm. S. Burroughs, Steve Allen, Charles Mingus & Charlie Parker
Rhino Records audio CD [11/92] 3 disks - out of prodn/used
Rhino audio [11/92] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used
Rhino audio [11/92] 3 tapes - out of prodn/used
Women of The Beat Generation audiobook read by Debra Winger  "Women of The Beat Generation: The Writers, Artists & Muses At The Heart of A Revolution" [1996] Edited by Brenda Knight
UNABR Sonic Audio read by Debra Winger [8/2000] 3 tapes for $27.94
New Breed audio CD  "Diggin' The New Breed: The Beat Generation & Post-War America" [2001]
Compiled by Keith Rodway & Robin Clifford

voices include Kerouac, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Snyder, Huncke, Lucien Carr, Ferlinghetti, Ed Sanders, Anne Waldman, Peter Orlovsky, Anne Chambers & Patti Smith
Phantom audio CD w/booklet [2/2001] for $13.49

Best Beat Generation spoken word CD  "The Best of The Beat Generation" [2002]
voices include Jack Kerouac, Lord Buckley, Ken Nordine, Allen Ginsberg, Wm. S. Burroughs, Kenneth Patchen, Langston Hughes & Lenny Bruce
Rhino Records audio CD [2/2002] for $17.98
Jazz of the Beat Generation music CD  "Jazz of The Beat Generation" [2003]
performers include Jack Kerouac, Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan & Dizzy Gillespie
audio CD [7/2003] out of prodn/used
First Thought Best Thought spoken word CD  "First Thought Best Thought: Essential Insights For Writers & Poets" [2004]
Selected & edited by Randy Roark

Readings by William S. Burroughs, Diane Di Prima, Allen Ginsberg & Anne Waldman
Sounds True UNABR audio CD [8/2004] for $22.76
Beat Cafe album by Donovan  "Beat Cafe" [2004 hit album]
by Donovan Leitch

Appleseed Records audio CD [8/2004] for $17.98


Movies & Videos About The Beats

Beatnik Film Festival
includes movies & videos about individual beats, plus rare & obscure films

Road Movies Film Festival at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

"Pull My Daisy" [1958]
Written by Jack Kerouac; directed by Robert Frank & Alfred Leslie
Narration by Jack Kerouac, starring Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso & Peter Orlovsky
VHS video available for $39.95 online from Fog City
full credits from IMDb

"The Beat Generation" [1959]
hokey exploitation flick produced by Albert Zugsmith, with cameos by
Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong, 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom & Vampira; filmed in Cinemascope
video/DVD not available • full credits from IMDb

"The Subterraneans" [MGM June 1960]
based on the Kerouac novel; starring George Peppard
video not available • full credits from IMDb

The Beatniks 1960 video  "The Beatniks" [1960]
Co-written & directed by Paul Frees
Gotham Disrtbn DVD [1/2004] for $6.98
Englewood b&w VHS [11/98] for $17.99
full credits at IMDb
Beat Girl video  "Beat Girl" [1961]
British B-movie melodrama, partly filmed among the beatnik 'caves' of London
Co-written & directed by Edmond T. Gréville; co-written by Dail Ambler; starring Gillian Hills, Noëlle Adam, Adam Faith, Shirley Anne Field, Nigel Green, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee & Carol White • full credits at IMDb
Red Distrbn widescreen b&w DVD [10/2003] for $17.97
Victory Multimedia b&w VHS [3/92] for $9.49
Kino Video b&w VHS [11/2001] for $18.95
Poetry In Motion  
"Poetry In Motion" [Canada Sept 1982]
Directed by Ron Mann; participants include Burroughs, Bukowski, Ginsberg, McClure, Ed Sanders, Gary Snyder, Tom Waits & Anne Waldman
Public Media color DVD [7/2002] for $17.96
Beat Generation / American Dream video  "The Beat Generation: An American Dream" [1987 documentary]
Produced & directed by Janet Forman; hosted by Steve Allen
Fox Lorber VHS [9/98] for $17.99
full credits at IMDb
The Beat Experience  "The Beat Experience" book & CD-ROM [1996]
Presented by the Whitney Museum of American Art

Voyager 8¾x6 book & CD-ROM [3/96] orig $39.95, out of prodn/used
Last Time I Committed Suicide  "Last Time I Committed Suicide" [Kushner-Locke June 1997]
Based on a letter from Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac • Written & directed by Stephen T. Kay; starring Thomas Jane, Claire Forlani, Gretchen Mol & Keanu Reeves
Universal color VHS [2000] out of prodn/used
Blue Note soundtrack CD [7/97] out of prodn/used
full credits from IMDb

Beat Poets videos   "Beat Poets Box Set" [1999]
Performances by Kerouac, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Corso, Burroughs, McClure & Manzarek
Mystic Fire color VHS [3/99] 5 tapes out of prodn/used
not listed at IMDb
The Source video   "The Source" [1999 PBS documentary]
Written, produced & directed by Chuck Workman; starring Johnny Depp [as Kerouac], John Turturro [as Ginsberg] & Dennis Hopper [as Burroughs]
Fox Lorber VHS [5/2000] for $17.99
Fox Lorber DVD [7/2000] for $21.49
full credits at IMDb
Beat 2000   "Beat" [video release April 2000]
An account of the events in Mexico in 1951 between Bill Burroughs, his wife Joan Vollmer, Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Carr, and others that resulted in the accidental (maybe) shooting death of Joan • Written & directed by Gary Walkow; starring Kiefer Sutherland, Courtney Love, Norman Reedus, Ron Livingston & Daniel Martínez
Lions Gate widescreen DVD [10/2002] for $22.49
full credits from IMDb

The Third Mind video documentary by William Tyler Smith  "The Third Mind" [indep release 2000]
The combined mindsets of Manzarak & McClure performing together produce a 'third mind'
Written, directed & filmed by William Tyler Smith; featuring Ray Manzarek & Michael McClure, with appearances by Jim Carroll, Lawrence Ferlinghetti & Allen Ginsberg
Oglio Records color DVD [6/2006] for $17.99
full credits at IMDb

Gang of Souls Beat Poets documentary film by Maria Beatty  "Gang of Souls: A Generation of Beat Poets" [M.V.D. Ent. March 2008]
Produced, written & directed by Maria Beatty; featuring William S. Burroughs, Diane Di Prima, Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Hell, Lydia Lunch & Henry Rollins
Bleu Productions color DVD [3/2008] for $17.99
full credits at IMDb

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