The Beat Poets

In my research about the Six Gallery the beat poets are central figures.  The beat poets are a loose configuration of poets originally out of New York City, many of whom came to San Francisco in the 1950s. Most went back to New York, but a few stayed.  Also San Francisco itself developed its own "beat" culture and had its "beat" poets.

When researching the community of beat poets 68 names came up, many of whom could in no fashion be considered beat. I am not really here to argue who or who is not a "beat".  The story of the Six Gallery is amply documented on the Internet.  I am looking for communities of artists and poets to clarify the social groupings in the sixties. My first attempt is to take the 68 names and cull out those who really do belong to a "beat" subculture.

Here are the first 30(in alphabetical order. I have noted with an asterisk those whom I would consider beat. Also the places mentioned are not necessary the places where they were born. Generally I chose the places where they lived a significant part of their working lives. (I hope that my columns survive.)

Beat Poets                 Born           Died                Place 1 Place 2      Place 3

1. Amiri Baraka     ( Oct 7, 1934 –  Jan 9, 2014                              NYC              (Everett LeRoi Jones)
2. Sinclair Beiles 1930 –              2000                    Johannesburg, SA     Paris
3. Carol Bergé 1928 –              2006                    NYC
4. Jane Bowles Feb 22, 1917 – May 4, 1973                            NYC     Morocco
5. Paul Bowles Dec 30, 1910 – Nov18, 1999                    NYC Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
6. John Brandi Nov 5, 1943                                    Los Angeles Sierra Nevada
7. Richard Brautigan Jan 30, 1935 – Sept 16, 1984                     Eugene, OR San Franciso, CA
8. Ray Bremser Feb 22, 1934 – Nov 3, 1998 NYC    Mexico
9. Chandler Brossard July 18, 1922-Aug 29, 1993                    Idaho Falls, ID NYC
10. James Broughton* Nov 10, 1913 – May 17, 1999                     San Francisco
11. Slim Brundage  Nov 29, 1903 –    Oct 18, 1990                       Chicago
12. Baird Bryant      Dec12, 1927 - , Nov 13, 2008                        Columbus, IN             Hemet, California
13. William S. Burroughs  Feb 5, 1914 – Aug 2, 1997                      St. Louis, MO            NYC                     Lawrence, KS
14. Carolyn Cassady*   April 28, 1923 – Sept 20, 2013                   Nashville, TN             NYC
15. Neal Cassady*   Feb 8, 1926 – Feb 4, 1968                              Denver, CO                San Francisco, CA
16. Neeli Cherkovski    Born 1945                                                 Santa Monica, CA      San Francisco, CA
17. Gregory Corso*      March 26, 1930 – Jan 17, 2001                   NYC                          San Francisco, CA
18. Elise Cowen          July 31, 1933 – Feb 27, 1962                      NYC
19. Diane di Prima*      August 6, 1934                                         NYC                          Oakland, CA (SF)
20. Kirby Doyle*          Nov 27, 1932 – April 5, 2003                      San Francisco, CA
21. William Everson  Sept 10, 1912 – June 3, 1994                       San Francisco; Oakland; Santa Cruz
22. Harry Fainlight* (British) 1935–1982                                       London, England
23. Lawrence Ferlinghetti*   born March 24, 1919                         NYC                          San Francisco, CA        
24. Michael John Fles           born Nov 11, 1936                            London, Eng               Los Angeles, CA
25. Jack Gelber (playwright)  April 12, 1932 – May 9, 2003            NYC
26. Brion Gysin*   Jan 19, 1916 – July 13, 1986                              London, Eng               Morocco                 Paris
27. Anselm Hollo   April 12, 1934 – Jan 29, 2013                           Helsinki, Finland         Boulder, CO  
28. John Clellon Holmes  March 12, 1926,  – March 30, 1988          Hartford, CN
29. Václav Hrabě  June 13, 1940- March 5, 1965                            Prague, CZ
30. Herbert Huncke*   Jan 9, 1915 – August 8, 1996                       NYC
31. Ted Joans        July 4, 1928 – April 25, 2003                            NYC         Seattle, WA/ Vancouver, BC