EN 1560 - The Beat Generation

With the 1957 publication of On the Road, Jack Kerouac introduced the concept of the “beat” that has endured in the American lexicon. His root vision is one of beatitude, which includes the attempt to reconcile the basic tenets of Christianity and Buddhism. Such insights are echoed in the works of Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Michael McClure, although William Burroughs and others would develop other directions. Students will examine and analyze in depth the Eastern roots of the Beat vision and study the primary texts of Beat writers. Offered every other year. (4 Credits)