`The Birth of the Beat Generation` by Steven Watson

Upon reviewing Steven Watson 's book `The Birth of the Beat Generation Visionaries , Rebels , and Hipsters , 1944 -- 1960 ' it is necessary to admit that the author of the publication traces the origins of Beat movement and Beat culture with remarkable attention and consideration

The book centers on the iconic significance of the charismatic leaders of the movement , namely William Burroughs , Allen Ginsberg , Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac , as well as their close milieu . The author succeeds in conveying the mesmerizing and turbulent atmosphere of those times -- these prominent artists met

up in New York and started a revolution , not only in the realm of literature but also in the minds of people . Their legacy is so enduring that even nowadays their works and philosophy exert a powerful influence on representatives of different generations .In fact , the main thesis the authors implicitly puts forward is that revolutions in art and literature cannot be attributed to social preconditions or dialectics of historical development . Instead , such revolutions occur when right people encounter each other at a right time in a right place . This is perfectly exemplified by the close relations between the main iconic figures of the Beat generation who derived inspiration from their hearty yet complicated friendship

Watson explores the development of such concepts as New Vision and the Beat Philosophy . Both of them have arisen from the rejection of existing social and literary tradition in favor of groundbreaking experiments with mind-altering substances , sexuality , and new ways of artistic expression . In terms of the predominant art form , the rise of Modernism was unprecedented . Although the new Pleiad of artists had to fight for acceptance (especially against censorship and the establishment , their impact was so powerful that many followers appeared soon . Gradually , the movement caught up and began to commercialize . Thus , the author argues that the most significant developments took place specifically at the dawn of the Beat movement

The proof that William Burroughs , Allen Ginsberg , Neal Cassady , and Jack Kerouac were iconic figures is found in Watson 's short critique of their main works . These were bold enough to put themselves , their aspiration and emotions in the center of their writing . They never doubted that their love affairs , travels , and visions were of interest to any reader . They felt themselves to be legitimate spokesmen of the Beat revolution , whom , beyond the reasonable doubt , they were

While the book mostly explores the life and times of the iconic figures of the movement , many ancillary s are covered . The most significant of them is Watson 's coverage of the San Francisco Renaissance , which constituted the West Coast wing of the Beats . The connection the author makes between the two justifies the attention being diverted from the iconic figures -- in the end , Watson presets a bigger picture of the early history of the Beat generation

In to make this history complete , the author also explores the subjects of Black Mountain School poets (such as Paul Blackburn , Larry Eigner , and Robert...