The Best Minds of My Generation : A Literary History of the Beats

A unique document, both primer and repository of Beat lore, The Best Minds of My Generation, compiled and edited by renowned Beat scholar Bill Morgan, is based on a series of lectures first given by Ginsberg in 1977. Ginsberg ranges widely, from the origin story of the "Beat" moniker, to the influence of jazz on Beat prosody, to the development of the cut-up method, to the many intimate moments, both funny and tragic, that cemented his connection to Kerouac, Burroughs, and many others. A unique mixture of memoir and criticism, both wonderfully digressive and deeply revelatory, The Best Minds of My Generation is an important addition to the library of Beat literature, a must-read for aficionados and neophytes alike. Book jacket.